Surf Coast Shire Council elects Mayor Cr Mike Bodwsorth
Published on 14 November 2024
Surf Coast Shire Council has elected Cr Mike Bodsworth as Mayor for the first year of its four-year term.
Cr Libby Stapleton was elected as Deputy Mayor for the same 12-month period.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the newly formed Council were elected at a special Council meeting on Thursday 14 November.
Mayor Bodsworth said it was a huge honour to be elected to the role.
“We’ve got an exciting new Council with important work to do. New councillors bring new perspectives and I think a fresh Council is a great thing. We have a healthy diversity of views,” he said.
“I’d like to thank all of my fellow councillors and the Surf Coast Shire community who are a great community to work with.”
“One of my first priorities is to work together to build a strong Council culture and one of our first pieces of work will be the Council Plan, which will serve as an essential roadmap. This will involve a lot of community engagement.”
“We’ve got some other exciting projects coming up including the Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre and Winchelsea pool and adventure play space redevelopment.”
Mayor Bodsworth, a father of two who lives in Anglesea, also thanked his family for their ongoing support.
Cr Stapleton said she was grateful for the opportunity to support the newly formed Council as Deputy Mayor.
“I want to work closely with all my fellow councillors to help ensure we get off to a really strong start in this new Council term. I thank my fellow Councillors for their support,” she said.
“For us as Councillors, it is our relationship with each other, with our communities, with Council officers and with representatives of the various agencies and organisations, that will be pivotal to our success.”
“We are all elected representatives and each of us has a critical role to play in leading our community and contributing to the overall performance of Council.”
“Listening to each other respectfully, taking time to build relationships, and doing my best to understand the priorities and values of each Councillor will be important to me in the role of Deputy,” Cr Stapleton said.