Glen Innes Severn Councillor David Scott was beaten twice at Wednesday’s council meeting, losing the mayoralty to Cr Margot Davis before also missing out on the deputy mayor’s chair minutes later.
Cr Davis was declared the winner, four votes to three, returned as mayor for a further two years.
“It is a privilege and a responsibility that I do take very seriously,” Mayor Davis told councillors.
“The past two years have not always been easy. We have faced challenges, made difficult decisions, and had a few bumps along the road. But we’ve also achieved a great deal.”
She pointed to the council’s economic development strategy, destination management work and a new focus on the shire’s villages, “who have often previously felt a little bit left to the side.”
Mayor Davis also defended two of the term’s toughest calls, the special rate variation and the new administration building.
“The SRV was not an easy or popular decision, nor was the administration building, which has been more than a decade in the making. But leadership sometimes requires decisions that are difficult today in order to avoid leaving bigger problems in the future.”
Council then moved to elect a deputy mayor, with a late nomination from Cr Scott, going up against Cr Carol Sparks.
Sparkes went one better than Davis, with Cr Vosper preferring Sparkes over Scott for Deputy Mayor, the returning officer declared Cr Sparks the winner 5-2.
“I’m honoured, and I’ll continue to represent the community to the best of my abilities,” Deputy Mayor Sparks said.
Mayor Davis said the next two years would be about delivery, after two years spent building council’s strategic framework.
“We will not always agree around the table, but we should not expect to either. What we can do and agree for the next two years is that we will do so respectfully and remain focused on our shared responsibility to serve this community.”
“I am ready, willing, and able to get on with it.”
In Uralla Shire, Cr Jen Philp has been elected as Deputy Mayor for the next 12 months.
Cr Philp was elected unopposed at Council’s recent meeting and will take over the role from Cr Kath Arnold, whose contribution as Deputy Mayor is sincerely appreciated.
Mayor Robert Bell congratulated Cr Philp on behalf of Council and thanked Cr Arnold for her service in the role over the past year. Mayor Bell was popularly elected to his position and was not required to renominate.
There is only one mayoral race left in the region, for Walcha Council on September 30. So far the only council with a change in its leadership is Liverpool Plains.
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