Independent councillors elected to top jobs

Two independent councillors have been elected as the first mayor and deputy mayor of Central Coast Council.

Cr Jane Smith, independent from Gosford East, has been elected mayor, with Cr Chris Holstein, former Gosford mayor and former Member for Gosford, from Gosford West, chosen as the deputy mayor.

The election was held at an extraordinary meeting of Central Coast Council, in the Wyong Chamber, on Monday, September 25.

Cr Smith said it was an honour to be elected as the first mayor and she was looking forward to the council working together with the whole of the community and in the best interests of the Central Coast.

"We will listen to the community and together we will deliver better roads, footpaths, drainage, recreational facilities and protect our waterways, this is our contract with the community," Cr Smith said.

"The services and infrastructure Council deliver is an essential part of maintaining our fantastic way of life here on the Coast," Cr Smith said.

"We need to find the right balance between delivering the infrastructure our growing community needs as well as protecting our quality of life and our local communities.

"I believe we are up for that challenge," she said.

Both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will serve a two-year term.

The 15 new Central Coast Councillors decided to vote for the two senior positions using a show of hands.

Four Councillors nominated for the position of Mayor including Cr Smith, Cr Doug Vincent for Labor, Cr Chris Holstein, and Cr Louise Greenaway was a late nomination from the floor.

In the first round of voting, Cr Greenaway was excluded.

Crs Smith and Vincent received seven votes each and Cr Holstein received his own single vote.

In the second round Cr Holstein was excluded.

In the third round, Cr Smith was elected mayor on the votes of Crs Best, Holstein, McLachlan and along with the four Liberal Party councillors.

After a short break, Cr Smith took the chair and restarted the meeting with an acknowledgement of country.

Councillors then moved to elect a deputy mayor in the same fashion as they elected the mayor, by a show of hands.

Cr MacGregor moved an amendment that the deputy's position would be for one year only, an amendment supported by Cr Vincent.

Cr Best argued that continuity was paramount and the amendment was lost on the basis of the mayor's vote.

Two nominations were received for deputy, Cr Doug Vincent and Cr Chris Holstein.

A third nomination for Cr Louise Greenaway was received from the floor.

Cr Chris Holstein was declared deputy mayor.

The first ordinary meeting of Council to be presided over by the new Mayor will be held on Monday, October at 6.30pm in the Wyong Chambers.

SOURCE:

Central Coast Council agenda, 25 Sep 2017

Reporter: Jackie Pearson