Wagga City councillors have backed the current mayoral leadership team for another two years following an election meeting on Monday night.
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Incumbent mayor Greg Conkey was returned with a convincing six votes out of a possible nine and incumbent deputy mayor Dallas Tout had a similar comfortable return.
There was prior speculation among councillors of a three-cornered contest but when it came down to a vote in the chamber, Cr Conkey faced just one challenger in Cr Vanessa Keenan.
An emotional Cr Conkey thanked his supporters in the chamber just minutes after his vote win.
Cr Conkey said he bore no ill-will towards those who challenged him for mayor or voted against him.
He said he believed that council leaders should stay in power for about two to four years and encouraged more women to run for council in the general election in two years’ time.
Cr Keenan confirmed last week that she would nominate for mayor, telling The Daily Advertiser she believed she had the skills and experience to lead the city.
“My background working for and with Wagga Council for the last 16 years places me as one of the most experienced councillors currently serving,” she said.
However, Cr Conkey was returned as mayor in the first round of voting with the support of Crs Dallas Tout, Kerry Pascoe, Rod Kendall, Paul Funnell, Yvonne Braid and himself.
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“This is a great city and I am very proud and privileged to be able to lead this great city over the next two years and I sincerely thank my fellow councillors for giving me that privilege,” Cr Conkey told reporters outside the meeting.
“I know it’s a sought-after position, mayor of the great city, and I can understand why a number of people were interested in putting their hands up for it and I congratulate Cr Keenan for doing that.
“I know there are a lot of others who wanted this job as well as it’s a fantastic job.”
Cr Conkey said he would use his relationship with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to continue work to completing the next $30 million stage of the Riverina Intermodal Freight Hub.
During the meeting, Cr Rod Kendall moved that the mayor and deputy mayor be elected for a 2018-20 term and that the votes be tallied via an open show of hands.
Councillors unanimously supported the motion.
Crs Hayes, Tim Koschel and incumbent Cr Tout nominated for the position of deputy mayor.
Cr Hayes this month finished an unsuccessful run in the Wagga state parliament byelection as a Labor candidate.
In the bid for deputy mayor, Cr Hayes received votes from Cr Keenan and from himself, while Cr Koschel voted for himself.
Cr Tout, who nearly missed the meeting over health issues, won the votes of Crs Conkey, Braid, Funnell, Pascoe, and himself.
“It’s fantastic and I’m just really happy to have the support of the councillors and to be working with (Cr Conkey) again,” Cr Tout said outside the meeting.
“We have done an OK job over the past two years and there are a lot of things coming for the city in the next two years.”
Federal Riverina MP Michael McCormack posted on social media that he looked forward “to continuing to work with (Crs Conkey and Tout) for good outcomes for our city”.
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