Writer, columnist, raconteur and television host Jim Hopkins was yesterday elected as Waitaki's new deputy mayor after winning a two-way vote against Cr Helen Stead.
Cr Hopkins, the top polling candidate with 3460 votes in the Oamaru ward at the election 11 days ago, was first elected to the council in 2007 and had previous local body experience in Christchurch.
He lives in Oamaru but regularly travels around New Zealand in his various roles.
After winning yesterday's vote 6-2, Cr Hopkins said the role was an important opportunity to assist the mayor and the district.
There was "an air about what needed to be done" and an appetite for change which he wanted to help enable.
Cr Hopkins was nominated as deputy by Mayor Alex Familton (seconded by Cr Peter Garvan) while Cr Stead was nominated by Cr Gus Young (seconded by Cr Sally Hope) at yesterday's inaugural meeting of the newly sworn-in council.
Mr Familton believed Cr Hopkins was the person he could work with to move the district forward and make progress.
Cr Garvan said he was the top polling councillor in the last two elections, indicating he had large public support.
Cr Young said Cr Stead had been "born and bred" in North Otago, was a very good public speaker and he felt it was a "positive to have both genders at the top".
Voting for Cr Hopkins were Mr Familton, Crs Garvan, Geoff Keeling, Hugh Perkins, Craig Dawson and Kathy Dennison.
Crs Young and Hope supported Cr Stead.
Crs Hopkins and Stead did not vote.
After the vote, Cr Stead, who was first elected in 2004 and had served previously on the former Oamaru Borough Council, pledged her support to both the mayor and deputy mayor.
Yesterday's inaugural meeting dealt with the legislative procedures necessary to establish the new three-year term of the council.
The only major change has been to restore to Mr Familton and committee chairpersons a casting vote, if they wish to use it.
Former mayors had that right, but it was removed by the council when Mr Familton was first elected mayor in 2007.
Cr Peter Garvan, who in 2007 was the instigator in removing the casting vote, yesterday moved it be restored.
He emphasised the casting vote was at the discretion of Mr Familton or committee chairpersons, and was important to ensure decisions were made.
At a special ceremony before the inaugural meeting, nine of the 11 members of the council wore sworn in and signed declarations in front of about 25 people, followed by an official photograph.
Mr Familton, in the mayor's address, outlined the challenges the council faced, both working under legislation and to respond to the aspirations of the community.
"The district is poised to make progress and will make progress," he said.
