LIBERAL councillor Callum Pull has been elected deputy mayor of City of Newcastle, taking the second-in-charge role for the next 12 months.
Councillors voted to elect the four deputy mayors to serve over the term in one fell swoop, each will sit in the role for one year.
Cr Pull is the first cab off the rank, followed by Greens Cr Charlotte McCabe in 2025, Labor Cr Declan Clausen in 2026 and Labor Cr Deahnna Richardson in 2027 until the next election.
The new deputy mayor said he was extraordinarily humbled to take on the role, being only the second Liberal and youngest councillor in Newcastle to hold the position at 23 years old.
"This recognises the confidence and support that Newcastle council has for young people in our city," Cr Pull said.
"The position of deputy lord mayor is not just something ceremonial, deputy mayors such as Brad Luke and Declan Clausen have, since 2012, shown that this is the second most senior civic role someone can occupy.
"They have used the office of deputy lord mayor to champion our city, and I will continue this in my time in the role."
The inaugural council meeting was off to a slow start on Tuesday night, plagued by technical issues at Town Hall.
Once it kicked off there was a few procedural stumbles and plenty of debate, including a spat over who sits where followed by musical chairs after a short recess.
The public gallery was packed, members of the public sitting on wooden pews as councillors and the new lord mayor took an oath or affirmation to undertake the duties of the office of councillor in the best interests of the community.
Portraits of robed former mayors watched on from their positions on the olive green walls as proud Awabakal woman Aunty Cheryl Smith and council chief executive Jeremy Bath placed the mayoral chains around Independent Cr Ross Kerridge's shoulders.
New and incumbent councillors sat around the horseshoe shaped table in the centre of the chamber in ward groups, instead of by political party, for the first time in three years.
That was until a request was made by a number of councillors to swap the name plates back during a short recess halfway through the meeting.
Former lord mayor and Labor Cr Nuatali Nelmes was noticeably absent from the chamber, attending the meeting remotely online.
Cr Kerridge put forward a lord mayoral minute congratulating new and returning councillors, inviting first term councillors to address the chamber.
"In my career and my life, I've at times faced great challenges as an anaesthetist and part of my mantra has been to keep your head high when others around you are losing their heads and blaming it on you," Cr Kerridge said.
"I would like to think I have walked with kings and princes, but I haven't lost the common touch.
"You have asked a lot and all I can do is promise I will do my best."
Each new councillor took up the opportunity, Greens Cr Sinead Francis-Coan giving an acknowledgement to country in Irish drawing on her culture and history, while Independent Cr Peter Gittens pledged his commitment to genuine representation.
"A strong sense of community inevitably leads to a strong sense of government, and that is my hope for this council," Cr Gittens said.
Labor Cr Paige Johnson, who is the first openly transgender woman elected to council in NSW, reflected on her journey to public office.
"It's hard to be what you can't see," she said.
"We deserve to thrive and I choose to be visible, because seeing people be visible in other states and countries made me think I could too."
The debate took an awkward turn when Labor Cr Declan Clausen asked to make an address, to which Cr Kerridge relented, saying he would "indulge him".
Cr Kerridge interrupted Cr Clausen as he began to discuss the achievements of Labor councillors in the previous term, the new lord mayor pointing out he did not want the meeting to "go until 1am".
"If I may conclude, lord mayor," Cr Clausen said.
"That would be appreciated," Cr Kerridge said.
More than an hour after the meeting opened, councillors had not moved past the first lord mayoral minute.
Cr Clausen's address was followed by the rest of the incumbent councillors who asked to speak.
After a short break to celebrate with family and friends, councillors returned to the chamber to get down to business.
The council approved a countback election in the event a councillor vacates their seat within 18 months of the election.
It is a much cheaper option for the ratepayer, at an estimated $6000 price tag compared to a by-election at $150,000.
Councillors were appointed to both internal and external committees.
A decision on the instruments of delegation for the mayor and chief executive, which essentially lays out the limitations of their powers was approved, with a change to the motion limiting tenders the CEO is able to accept to $1 million.
The meeting came to a close at almost 11pm.
