Above, from left to right: Clr Kathy Tracey, Clr Dr Felix Lo, Clr Lyndal Howison, Clr Tina Kordrostami, Clr Cameron Last, Mayor Trenton Brown, Clr Justin Li, Clr Shweta Deshpande, Clr Daniel Han, Clr Roy Maggio, Clr Penny Pederson.
City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown and 10 Councillors were officially sworn into office during an Extraordinary Council Meeting held on Tuesday 15 October 2024, the first meeting since the NSW Local Government Election was decided.
At the same meeting, Clr Sophie Lara-Watson was elected Deputy Mayor for a 12-month term after defeating the only other nominee, Clr Dr Felix Lo, by eight votes to five.
Mayor Brown congratulated Clr Lara-Watson on her appointment.
"I know she will do a tremendous job," he said. "She's highly motivated and looking forward to the next term and I know we'll have great success together."
The Councillors who took their Oath or Affirmation of Office were Penny Pedersen, Roy Maggio, Kathy Tracey, Daniel Han, Cameron Last, Lyndal Howison, Tina Kordrostami, Shweta Deshpande, Justin Li, and Dr Felix Lo. Councillors Sophie Lara-Watson and Keanu Arya were not present in the Chamber and had been sworn in at a separate ceremony on 4 October 2024.
Mayor Brown, who is a third-generation Mayor of the City of Ryde by marriage, noted the diversity of the new Council body, which was a wonderful reflection of the community it will serve over the next four-year term.
"This election has seen a strong shift in many ways," he said. "This Council body is more diverse than it has ever been in terms of age, culture, religious background, and many other areas.
"In particular, I'm pleased to say that 50 percent of the elected body are women and I think that augers well for being broadly representative of our community."
Mayor Brown told the Chamber he would be focussing on a policy agenda of keeping Council rates low, preserving vital open space, and getting on with building critical infrastructure.
"I look forward to working collaboratively on a range of challenges that will provide the best outcomes for our community," he said.
