Greater Geelong Councillor Peter Murrihy has been elected Mayor after an unanimous vote during a special meeting on Friday.
Mayor Murrihy replaces Stephanie Asher, who announced her resignation from the top job on 8 June, effective from 15 June.
He is the 14th Mayor since the 1995 formation of the amalgamated City of Greater Geelong.
A Newtown resident, Mayor Murrihy was elected to the Council for the first time in 2017 and served as Deputy Mayor from the time of his election until October 2019.
He chairs the Council’s Economic Development, Heritage, Innovative Solutions, and Leisure and Recreation portfolios, and represents the Council on the Geelong Major Events Committee. He is also Deputy Chair of the Tourism portfolio and Co-Deputy Chair of the Arts, Live Entertainment and Hospitality portfolio.
Councillor Trent Sullivan will continue to serve as the region’s Deputy Mayor.
“I’m thankful for the support of my fellow councillors and really, really excited about this honour,” the new Mayor said.
“It’s not something I ever saw coming in my life, even when I first joined the Council. I arrived in Geelong straight out of country Victoria as a 19 year-old and didn’t know one person. So to be in this position now is something I’m proud of.”
He thanked Councillor Asher for her service as Mayor, and said he looked forward to working alongside Deputy Mayor Sullivan.
“Geelong is a great place with an exciting future, and I’ll be working hard to make sure we achieve our potential.”
“Gaining this position is one thing – it’s now what happens in the future and I’m looking forward to getting straight to work,” said Mayor Murrihy.
