Councillor Steven Tsitas has been elected mayor of the city of Darebin for the second time in his political career.
Voted into the top position at a council meeting last week at Preston City Hall, Cr Tsitas won five of the nine votes ahead of Cr Angela Villella and Cr Bo Li.
“I will work tirelessly on your behalf and I will work hard to build a council team the people of Darebin can trust and be proud of,” he said during his acceptance speech.
For his one-year term, the newly elected mayor listed economic management and financial sustainability as the top priorities on the council agenda, with a “particular focus on small and micro businesses”.
Additional areas of importance included various infrastructure projects, city planning, traffic and transport, women’s sports and community relationships.
Representing Rucker ward, his fellow ward councillor Oliver Walsh was voted in as deputy mayor with six votes to his name.
Cr Tsitas also took the opportunity to thank Cr Gaetano Greco, from whom he will take over the reins.
Currently in his fifth term as councillor, in 2011 he was the first Greek Australian to be appointed as mayor of Darebin City Council.