Upper Hunter Shire councillors voted to re-elect incumbent mayor Maurice Collison in the new-look council's first meeting.
Cr Collison has served as mayor since 2020, and will add another two years to his tally after fending off challenges from councillors Allison McPhee and George Fraser.
The mayor was elected to the council in 2012 and said he was "very, very grateful" to once again lead the council, which has four new councillors.
"It's good to see three candidates [for mayor], I'd be happy to work under either Cr McPhee or Cr Fraser," Cr Collison said.
"We've got a big job to do now, we've got new faces in the chamber and I'll do my best to head the shire in the right direction - I believe we have been going pretty comfortably.
"The big thing is, please, let's all work together. I'll certainly work with you if you wish to work with me."
Cr Pat Ryan was elected as deputy mayor. Both will serve in their respective roles for two years until September 2026.
Cr Peter McGill called for the deputy mayor position to be re-elected every year, rather than every two, to bring the Upper Hunter Shire Council in line with the Local Government Act.
"My hope is that by moving to one-year terms, we can have a look at who is going to be the best [deputy mayor] candidate in the short term," Cr McGill said.
"Given that in time the deputy mayor can aspire to be mayor, it gives other people an opportunity."
However, the motion was unsuccessful. "I think it needs to be a two-year term to allow the person to learn the job well," Cr Earle Shields said.
During the meeting, the council also resolved that any councillors vacancies within the first 18 months would be filled via a vote countback, to save the community the cost of conducting a by-election.
Council appointed Cr Adam Williamson was appointed as the non-voting councillor member to the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee for the whole council term.
"This decision ensures the inclusion of a councillor's perspective while maintaining independent oversight of council's governance, risk management, and performance improvement functions," an UHSC spokesperson said.
The council is expected operate with a deficit until 2032 and is managing a $29.5-million debt, which includes pursuing a special rate variation (SRV) of 10 per cent a year for three years, for a permanent cumulative increase of 33.1 per cent.
