Time for a change was the slogan for Cr Dean Winter’s election campaign and the people have spoken, electing him as Mayor of Kingborough, receiving 45.78 per cent of the primary votes tally on Tuesday, October 30.
At 33, Cr Winter will be the youngest mayor in Kingborough Council’s 110 years.
Cr Winter campaigned alongside Jo Westwood, who was successfully elected as Deputy Mayor.
Mayor elect, Cr Winter and Deputy Mayor elect, Cr Westwood will be joined by Councillors elect, Christian Street and Amanda Midgley, and returning for another term, Richard Atkinson, Sue Bastone, Flora Fox, David Grace, Paula Wriedt, and former Mayor for the past four years, Steve Wass.
The new council will be officially signed into their roles by the General Manager tomorrow (Wednesday, November 7) ahead of their first council meeting on November 12.
At the top of the agenda, Cr Winter said they will be looking at getting council back to the basics, and making sure they do a really good job of it, with the priority being to keep a close eye on roads, rates, rubbish and public places.
“I think what’s been proven by the result is that people want council to focus on this basic level,” he said.
Cr Winter said people are really unhappy with the current stormwater issues closing the southern end of Blackmans Bay Beach.
“Both Jo and I have young children and leading into summer it’s really disappointing that it won’t be open for swimming,” he said.
“I have spoken with the General Manager about what the problem is and what needs to be done to fix it but unfortunately it doesn’t look like it will be done in time for summer.”
Cr Winter acknowledged that he didn’t win all of the votes, and said Richard Atkinson received a lot of votes (24.80 per cent) and that he and his fellow Greens councillor, Amanda Midgley, will make a different contribution in the community Cr Winter also acknowledged the work of Steve Wass as Mayor.
“Steve is a passionate Kingborough person, he worked tirelessly in the role out and about in the community,” he said.
“It will be good to have his knowledge on the Council going forward.”
Deputy Mayor elect, Jo Westwood said the new council is going to change the way they look at things.
The new council has a broad range of men and women of different age groups, each bringing a different perspective.
“Kingborough has the third highest percentage of families with young children,” said Ms Westwood.
“The community want proper representation of the population.”
Pictured: Mayor elect, Cr Dean Winter will officially be signed in as the new Mayor of Kingborough, and Jo Westwood as Deputy Mayor tomorrow (Wednesday, November 7). The pair have been campaigning together to bring council back to its basic functions of roads, rates, rubbish and public places.
