The council consisted of nine single-Councillor wards at each of the four elections totally dominated by the ALP. In 2008, following a representation review by the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), Darebin was divided into three wards comprising three councillors in each elected by proportional representation. For the first time the ALP stranglehold was broken with the election of Trent McCarthy, a Greens candidate, to the Rucker Ward. In 2012, the ALP stranglehold was further weakened with the election of independents Julie Williams and Bo Li elected to the Cazaly Ward, along with Oliver Walsh, a Liberal Party member, elected to the Rucker Ward. Later in that term, Vince Fontana of Cazaly Ward and Gaetano Greco of La Trobe Ward quit the ALP, leaving only three ALP members, Tim Laurence, Steven Tsitas and Angela Villella, on the Council. The first election in 1996 was by attendance voting. Postal voting has been used at each subsequent election. ALP factions provided much of the interest in Darebin politics, given that the ALP has traditionally been in a commanding position within the municipality. Two councillors elected from the Right or Labor Unity faction, Nazih Elasmar and Marlene Kairouz, were subsequently elected to the Victorian Parliament. Both Elasmar and Kairouz have at various times served as Mayor of Darebin, Kairouz having held the office of Mayor on two occasions. At the first Darebin Council Election no faction held control, with four councillors from the Preston area being members of the Labor Unity (Right) faction, four councillors from the Northcote area being members of the Socialist Left, and one Councillor from the Preston area being a member of the Pledge faction, a breakaway group from the Socialist Left frequently voting with the Right. After elections in 1998, 2002 and 2004 the Labor Unity group held almost all Council positions, but complications existed within Labor Unity as two sub-factions competed for dominance and for the election of Mayor. In 2008, with the introduction of the proportional representation voting system, no faction again held dominance. The City of Darebin has been served by six Chief Executive Officers (CEO) :   During the 2012-2016 Council term, Darebin Council was investigated by the Victorian Ombudsman due to allegations of corruption resulting in numerous resignations. Amidst these allegations, the CEO's salary was raised to approximately $A400,000 without seeking public approval. The council has been criticised for its lack of consultation with local residents, high density developments and apparent inconsistent decisions.