John Medcalf OAM has been elected as the Mayor of Lachlan Shire.
He was elected at the first meeting of the newly formed Lachlan Shire Council, which was held on Wednesday, 16 October.
Councillors Dennis Brady, Paul Phillips and John Medcalf OAM were nominated for the position of Mayor.
An election was held by preferential secret ballot and Councillor John Medcalf OAM was elected as Mayor for a two-year term until September 2026.
General Manager, Greg Tory, in the role of Returning Officer for the election, officially declared Councillor Medcalf OAM as Mayor by five votes to three after distribution of preferences.
Councillor Medcalf OAM has been a councillor for Lachlan Shire Council (A Ward) since 1991.
He served eight years as Mayor prior to 2023 when he was elected Deputy Mayor. On his election, Councillor Medcalf OAM said “It is an absolute honour to once again have the opportunity to represent the community of Lachlan Shire as their Mayor. I look forward to the next two years working with my fellow councillors for the good of the community. That’s why we are all here, to deliver services and initiatives that make this Shire a great place to live.”
Councillor Medcalf OAM lives in Tottenham with his wife Jane and is still actively involved in the family farming enterprise with their son Paul and his wife Sharon. Mayor Medcalf OAM has a focus on making a difference for future generations of our community.
Nominations for the position of Deputy Mayor were received from Councillors Dennis Brady and Megan Mortimer. Councillor Mortimer was elected to the role.
On her election, Councillor Mortimer thanked the councillors who voted for her and said “I am excited to take on this opportunity and look forward to learning a lot along the way.”
Councillor Mortimer was first elected as a Councillor for Lachlan Shire Council (A Ward) in 2021.
She lives on the family farm at Fifield with her husband, Douglas and their children. She was congratulated on her first executive appointment by Mayor Medcalf OAM and other councillors.
All Councillors took their Oath or Affirmation of Office at the October meeting.
Councillors elected to serve the community of Lachlan Shire for the next four years are: Megan Mortimer and John Medcalf (OAM) for A Ward; Melissa Blewitt and Melissa Rees for B Ward; Robyn Turner and Dennis Brady for D Ward; and Paul Phillips for E Ward.
There is a vacant position for a councillor in E ward. A by-election will be held on Saturday, 23 November 2024 to elect a councillor to fill the vacancy.