Golden Plains Shire council elected Owen Sharkey as the new mayor during an Unscheduled Council Meeting held at Golden Plains Civic Centre on Tuesday.
The election followed the resignation of former mayor Sarah Hayden last week.
Mr Sharkey ran against Helena Kirby and Gavin Gamble to become mayor for the third time.
Predecessor Sarah Hayden, Des Phelan and Emma Robbins all voted for Mr Sharkey while Ms Kirby and Mr Gamble voted for themselves.
Mayor Sharkey acknowledged Cr Hayden’s contribution as mayor and noted the impact of destructive social media commentary, often from anonymous posters, on Cr Hayden’s mayoralty, and on the wellbeing of councillors more generally, not only at Golden Plains Shire but across the wider local government sector.
He also expressed his gratitude to council for the opportunity to serve as mayor.
“It is a privilege and a deep responsibility to be appointed as the mayor of Golden Plains Shire,” Cr Sharkey said.
“Golden Plains Shire is in a unique position. We’re growing rapidly, and with that comes both opportunity and pressure. We need leadership that is calm, collaborative, and focused on outcomes. I acknowledge that we have had some internal challenges recently but I’m confident all councillors are committed to moving forward together,” he said.
“I also want to thank Cr Helena Kirby for her work as acting mayor over the last few weeks.”
