Paul Terry elevated to deputy mayor in first City of Albany council meeting led by Greg Stocks as mayor

Cr Paul Terry will serve as the City of Albany deputy mayor for the next two years after being elected by his fellow councillors on Tuesday.

The meeting was the first led by Albany’s new mayor Greg Stocks and with recently elected councillors Craig McKinley, Lynn MacLaren and Mario Lionetti, who joined the returning Cr Terry.

After Mr Stocks and the four newly elected councillors made and signed their declarations in front of Great Southern Police Supt Paul Coombes, three nominations were received for the position of deputy mayor.

Cr Terry, along with Cr Malcolm Traill and Cr MacLaren, made a four-minute pitch to the council to try to win their vote.

Cr Terry pointed towards his eight years of council experience being the second longest term among the current 11 elected members as a key reason why he should be deputy mayor.

He said he had earned the respect of the community and learnt a lot about “how the City and council operate”.

“I believe I have a very comprehensive understanding of how the City and council work,” he said.

“I have a highly respectful relationship with every councillor around the room, also with the executive management team, the wider management group and also the staff.

“That is all really important, and I look forward to forging that respectful relationship with our three new councillors as well.”

Cr MacLaren appealed to the council’s need for more diverse representation in her pitch and said she was “highly qualified” for the role.

“I am an accomplished leader and highly skilled communicator — I make a living as a professional development trainer,” she said.

“I’m approachable, respectful, and have over 30 years experience in building consensus.

“You can rely on me to speak up for the best outcome and to support, not only our new mayor, but the whole of council.”

Cr Traill told council he “probably learnt more in the last two years than I have in any other time of my adult life” and “I’m here to make Albany a better place”.

“I really want to be able to take all of that knowledge I’ve gained in the last hectic two years to the next stage by taking on a leadership role,” he said.

Ultimately, Cr Terry won seven primary votes in the optional preferential ballot to be named deputy mayor for the next two years.