In the wake of no mayoral candidate being nominated in the recent local government elections, the Kingston District Council has remained without a figurehead.

That all changed last week with the council appointing a new deputy mayor at its first council meeting since the 2022 elections.

Long standing council member and previous deputy mayor Chris England nominated Cr Jeff Pope for an interim period, concluding after the formal declaration of the mayoral supplementary election result.

Other members supported the nomination and Cr Pope was elected unopposed in a unanimous vote.

In taking the position of deputy mayor, Cr Pope immediately assumed responsibility as acting in the role of Mayor, given the council currently has no mayor.

“I’m a passionate resident in this Kingston region, and to be nominated and elected by my colleagues is a real privilege,” Cr Pope said.

“Thank you for trusting me with this responsibility, we are a fantastic team, and I am confident we can work together to bring about great results for our community.”

Cr Pope is in his third term as a council member with the council, giving him a solid 8 years’ experience, which will stand him in good stead to steer the ship until such time as a mayor is realised.

Additionally, Cr Pope has previously been a council member for the former Mannum (now Mid-Murray) Council in the 1990s, where at the time of amalgamation in 1997, he was the deputy mayor.

Council chief executive Nat Traeger was pleased with the outcome.

“Cr Pope and myself enjoy an excellent relationship, which includes mutual respect and a solid understanding of the key issues which will need immediate resolution and leadership,” she said.

“The working relationship between the mayor (in this case the deputy mayor acting in the role of mayor), as the leader of the council, and the chief executive officer as the leader of the administration is one of the most important relationships in local government.”