MARTIN Rush was elected as Muswellbrook Shire mayor at an extra ordinary council meeting on Wednesday night.
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And, he was joined by new deputy Cr Rod Scholes.
Cr Rush was the only one to nominate for the top position, and therefore elected unopposed.
Cr Steve Reynolds and Cr Scholes put their hands up for the role of deputy mayor.
Cr Scholes said he was looking forward to another great term on council.
He said he hoped to work towards creating a more sustainable town, as well as additional opportunities for the youth of Muswellbrook.
He also wants to see it be a place people want to settle down in.
This will be Cr Scholes’ second term at Muswellbrook council.
He said he decided to nominate for the position of deputy mayor because he had had a term to settle into the council role.
“I understood what was involved in being in council,” he said.
“It takes a term to get used to it.
“I saw that I had the skills [necessary to be deputy mayor].”
Cr Scholes is a project manager by trade and is happy to be representing the community he has been a part of for about 35 years.
The extra ordinary council meeting was the first official chamber outing for newcomers Cr Steve Reynolds, Cr Jason Foy, Cr Scott Bailey, Cr Mark Bowditch, Cr Michelle Green and Cr Jacinta Ledlin.
They joined returning members Cr Stephen Ward, Cr Rod Scholes, Cr Graeme McNeill, and Cr Martin Rush.
Crs Janelle Risby and Brett Woodruff were apologies at the meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, Crs Bowditch, McNeil, Reynolds, and Scholes read the oath.
Crs Ledlin, Foy, Green, Rush, and Bailey read the affirmation.
Last week, Cr Rush said he was pleased with the new-look council.
He said it appeared to be a younger, more progressive council, full of enthusiasm.
The mayor said it was a good mix of councillors and the shire was the beneficiary.