Greens Councillor Rochelle Porteous was last night elected Mayor of Sydney’s Inner West Council, with Independent Councillor Pauline Lockie elected as Deputy Mayor.
Outgoing Mayor, Darcy Byrne and Deputy Mayor, Vic Macri were unsuccessful in the vote, with Cr Porteous elected by seven votes to five for Cr Byrne. Cr Lockie was elected as Deputy Mayor, winning seven votes.
Councillor Porteous (pictured) said she was proud to represent the people of the Inner West.
“I look forward to working with all Councillors in an inclusive way where we share responsibilities and work collaboratively on finding solutions for some of the tasks ahead,” she said.
“I very much want to work in a way where everyone feels they’re listened to and everyone feels respected. We’re here for the community, and it’s a privilege to represent the community.
“I’m also pleased that we now have a female mayor and a female deputy mayor, and that we’re both progressives,” Mayor Porteous said.
The new Deputy Mayor, Councillor Lockie said, “I’m looking forward to continuing to support our community through the pandemic and making sure our residents keep getting the outcomes they need from Council.”
NSW Council elections have been delayed until December due to the current pandemic. Under the Local Government Act, all Councils where the Mayor was elected by Councillors in 2019 were required to hold a Mayoral election in September.
