Councillor Jarrod Bell of the Jacksons Hill Ward has been elected to the position of Hume City Mayor by Council colleagues at a Statutory Council Meeting on Tuesday 19 November 2024, while Cr Naim Kurt of the Tullamarine Ward will serve as Deputy Mayor.
In his acceptance speech, Cr Bell spoke of the work that will start immediately on uniting the new council group as they navigate the challenges of leading our growing city.
Tuesday's Statutory Meeting comes following the recent Victorian Local Elections which saw not only changes to the councillor group, but changes to our city's boundaries and ward structure.
In the run for 11 councillors to represent 11 separate wards, Hume City welcomed five new members to the council group and retained six from the 2020-2024. term.
It will be Cr Bell's first time serving as Mayor of Hume City. The terms for both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be capped at 12 months.
Cr. Bell attended Sunbury West Primary and Sunbury Downs College and has served the local community as a Scout Leader and SES volunteer; he was first elected to Council in 2020.
He credits his grandfather, who served in World War II, for inspiring his dedication to serving others, to see the value in sacrifice, and to contribute in any way I can to the community we share.
Cr Bell says his term will be underpinned by cohesive decision making within the new council group, declaring to use a collective voice to advocate for the service needs of our community, particularly in areas that are seeing huge sousing growth.
This will be particularly important when it comes to the Victorian Government's housing target plans for Hume, which estimates a growth of 500,000 residents by 2051, for which Cr Bell says they must have a seat at the planning table to be a voice for our residents.
Looking to the year ahead, Cr Bell outlined several key priorities they intend to work on, including:
The development of a new Council Plan, shaped by community member feedback, which will guide decision making for the next four-year term
advocating for critical infrastructure to be upgraded or built as more people call Hume City home.
Continued work on the Broadmeadows and Cloverton Metropolitan Activity Centres to ensure all residents in Hume are thriving and connected to work, recreation and education
Cr Bell says he looks forward to hitting the ground running in the remaining months of 2024, while also acknowledging the upcoming holiday season and Christmas events across Hume, including one of the biggest events on our city's calendar - Carols by Candlelight on 7 December.
Cr Bell thanks outgoing Mayor Cr Naim Kurt and Deputy Mayor Cr Karen Sherry for bringing passion, tenacity and community focus to everything they did over their 12-month term.
Quotes attributable to Mayor of Hume City, Cr Jarrod Bell:
"I am filled with hope for this new council. With five new faces among the eleven of us, we have a unique opportunity to set a new tone—one that values collaboration, consensus, and a shared mission.
"I envision a council that fights for our community, that lifts up the voices of Melbourne's northwest, and that makes life easier for all who call this place home."
Quotes attributable to Deputy Mayor of Hume City, Cr Naim Kurt:
"It's such an honour and privilege to once again be elected to this Council, and to serve in the position of Deputy Mayor in 2025.
"I want to thank all of the community who backed me in this re-election. We're so lucky in Australia that we are able to freely participate in democracy without conflict we see in other countries. I look forward to the year ahead working in collaboration with my council colleagues, a young first-time Mayor in Cr Bell and a strong leadership team."
