MACEDON Ranges Shire Council Mayor Jennifer Anderson was re-elected for her fifth term in the leadership role.
The mayor and deputy mayor were elected for the upcoming 12 months, with councillors voting in favour of Cr Anderson at a meeting last week.
Cr Mark Ridgeway was also nominated to be mayor but Cr Anderson won in a 5-4 vote.
Cr Anderson has served as a representative for the west ward of the shire since 2012, with stints as mayor in 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2020-21.
She said she was honoured to be re-elected and looked forward to a year ahead hopefully filled with increased ability to interact in person with the community.
“I would like to thank my fellow councillors for the faith they have shown by giving me the opportunity to lead the Macedon Ranges Shire Council for the next 12 months,” Cr Anderson said.
“While the past year has very been challenging, I’m very proud of our resilience and how we have responded to this time of great change and uncertainty, both as a council and a community.
“There are exciting times ahead. I look forward to building on what has already been achieved and ensuring Macedon Ranges Shire continues to be an outstanding place in which to live, work and visit.”
Cr Anderson said the Macedon Ranges Shire community and the many great aspects of the area was the reason for wanting to serve as the shire’s mayor.
“The biggest thing that motivates me is the community,” she said.
“I love living here and I think we have a very special place, with an amazing township and people that really go out of their way to help out, great not-for-profits and volunteers and we live in an amazing environment.
“It’s important that we can protect all that and I first got onto council way back and I’ve just learnt so much. The more you learn, the more you can give back and try and work … our decisions are for the long term.
“Good planning of what goes on the land, what services you can or can’t provide and communication with the community is all important to keep these things going.”
Cr Rob Guthrie will step in the position of deputy mayor, also elected by councillors on a one-year term, taking over from Cr Ridgeway.
“I’d like to say thank you to Mark Ridgeway, it was great to work with him and he was a great support to me,” Cr Anderson said.
“Cr Guthrie has been on council before, so he’ll have some wisdom from days gone by and it’s a really important role because knowing there is someone to have that support from and to just ring up and talk to and run things by.
“He’s a south ward councillor, which is one of our fastest-growing areas, so to have that perspective from someone from that ward is great.”
