Labor councillor Tania Brown has been returned to the position of deputy lord mayor in a split vote at the first Wollongong City Council meeting of the term.
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Cr Brown was joined by Liberal John Dorahy and Greens representative Cath Blakey in standing for the role, with councillors agreeing unanimously to hold a show-of-hands vote instead of the secret ballot.
Cr Blakey received the lowest number of votes in the first round, causing her to be eliminated. Cr Brown then beat Cr Dorahy eight votes to five in a second round of voting.
Speaking after the meeting, Cr Brown said she was honoured to be returned to the role, which she has held since 2019.
"It's always a privilege to represent your community and even more so as deputy lord mayor," she said.
Cr Brown said she would continue to advocate for Wollongong to bring tourism events to the region as it recovered from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to work with the business community.
She said she was excited for the city's future, especially the upcoming UCI world cycling championships, which will be held in Wollongong in September.
"This is our Olympic moment, all the eyes of the world will be on Wollongong, we need to make sure we do it right," she said.
Cr Brown will hold the role of deputy lord mayor until September 23, when a new election will be held.
How they voted:
In the first round of voting, Cr Blakey was eliminated after receiving only two votes - her won and that of fellow Greens councillor, Mithra Cox.
Cr Brown and Cr Dorahy then went head to head in a second round with Cr Brown beating Cr Dorahy eight votes to five.
Cr Brown secured the endorsement of fellow Labor councillors Ann Martin, David Brown, Janice Kershaw and new councillors Richard Martin and Linda Campbell, along with the Greens.
However, Cr Brown did not receive support from Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery, who she challenged for the city's top role in December.
Cr Bradbery used his vote to back Cr Dorahy, who also received support from fellow Liberal councillors Cameron Walters and newcomer Elisha Aitken, as well as independent councillor Dom Figliomeni.
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