JO MCNALLY will serve as deputy to Mayor Tracy Dobie after winning the deputy vote at the first meeting of the new Southern Downs Regional Council in Warwick on Wednesday morning.
Ms McNally is believed to have beaten the other challenger Vic Pennisi by one vote to take the deputy role .
The new Southern Downs mayor and councillors were confirmed by the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) last week and officially sworn in on 6 April in front of the media, friends and family.
The new look council includes Mayor Tracy Dobie who took on the heavy weight of government – literally with the heavy mayoral chains being placed around her neck during the ceremony.
Past councillor Jo McNally completes an all female leadership team while past councillors Cameron Gow, Neil Meiklejohn and Vic Pennisi joined new councillors Rod Kelly, Yve Stocks, Sheryl Windle and Marika McNichol in officially being sworn in for the four-year term.
The council’s chief executive officer David Keenan, who presided over the ceremony in the Warwick Council Chambers from 9am, welcomed the new members.
“On behalf of the management and staff of Southern Downs Regional Council, I would like to congratulate Mayor Dobie and councillors on their successful election to council for the 2016 term.
“We welcome back councillors McNally, Meiklejohn, Gow and Pennisi and look forward to getting to know our new councillors Kelly, Stocks, Windle and McNichol,” he said.
The formal swearing in ceremony for the mayor and councillors took place as part of the council’s first statutory meeting.
In accordance with section 175 of the Local Government Act 2009 and Section 5.2 of Council’s Code of Meeting Practice Policy, the election of the Deputy Mayor occurred at the first statutory meeting, voted on by the new councillors once they were sworn in.
Voting was by a show of hand, and not secret ballot.
