Sydney’s Hills Shire Council has elected a new Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Mitchell Blue was elected to the role during yesterday’s Ordinary Meeting of Council. He will remain in the role until the 2024 Council election.
As a long-time local resident and volunteer, Councillor Blue has served The Hills Shire in many roles, Council said in a statement today.
“He is a volunteer firefighter with Glenhaven Rural Fire Brigade. Having joined the volunteer fire service more than six years ago, Cr Blue has helped residents locally in times of need and people and communities across NSW affected by natural disasters,” the Council said.
In addition to this, he was the founding Chairperson of the Friends of Glenhaven, which is a resident advocacy group with a membership of more than 500 people and a social media reach of 5,000 followers. He is also the patron and a past Chairperson for the Glenhaven Christmas Carols.
Cr Blue said he looked forward to working closely with Mayor, Dr Peter Gangemi, his fellow Councillors and Council staff.
“This is not a role I take for granted,” he said.
“Firstly, I am honoured to be a Councillor and now as the Deputy Mayor of this outstanding organisation. I thank my fellow Councillors for supporting me and I look forward to working alongside them, as well as the Mayor and Council staff as we deliver great outcomes for this region. I also thank the community for their ongoing support and look forward to continuing to advocate on their behalf.
“As Deputy Mayor, I wish to fast-track key infrastructure in our new release areas, strengthen Council’s community engagement and continue to build community resilience in our flood-impacted areas.
“Most of all, I want to continue advocating for our residents and give them a voice they deserve.”
Mayor Gangemi also welcomed the appointment.
“Councillor Blue has consistently demonstrated a long-standing commitment to serving the needs of residents by taking a leadership role in several community initiatives,” he said.
“I am delighted to welcome Cr Blue as our new Deputy Mayor. His integrity, hard-working nature and community-driven approach will be an asset to Council and to the people we serve.”
Mayor Gangemi also thanked the outgoing Deputy Mayor, Mark Hodges.
“I would like to personally thank Cr Hodges for his dedication, support and hard work throughout the past 14 months. Cr Hodges allocated significant time to the role and his guidance of the organisation and his ability to lead and represent the Council where required was first-class.”
“We’ve also enjoyed many achievements and made history along the way, including the opening of the new $56 million Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre, fast-tracking several infrastructure projects in the new release areas and securing $11.3 million to repair our road network after it was left damaged by all the rain and floods.
“I have no doubt Cr Blue will be an incredible Deputy Mayor as we continue to deliver for The Hills Shire,” Mayor Gangemi said.