CHANGE to Wagga City Council's leadership team was touted in the lead-up and delivered on Monday night.
Councillor Dallas Tout was elected deputy mayor unopposed at the council meeting, replacing Councillor Andrew Negline.
Mayor Rod Kendall withstood a challenge from Councillor Paul Funnell to retain his position at the helm for another 12 months.
Councillor Kendall won 6-4 in an open vote, with Cr Funnell backed by himself and councillors Negline, Yvonne Braid and Kerry Pascoe.
Councillor Julian McLaren was absent for the vote.
Moments after his victory, Cr Tout stressed leadership sat with the entire council, not the two individuals elected to lead them.
"To me the deputy mayor position, and the mayoral position in some ways, is more a representation than a leadership," Cr Tout told The Daily Advertiser on Monday night.
"People call them leadership positions, (but) I don't really do that.
"To me, the leadership still sits within the core group of 11 councillors."
Cr Tout, who works as a finance manager at Charles Sturt University, said the role was another step towards "correctly representing the feelings and the thoughts of the other councillors" regardless of the forum.
Having spent three terms on Gundagai Shire Council (GSC) - including time as deputy mayor - Cr Tout said he would use the relationships he has already forged with other councils to the city's advantage.
"With the local government review going on now, and what's going to happen there, part of that representation is all about relationships," he said.
"I think those kind of networks (developed with GSC) are going to help us moving forward in what's going to be very turbulent times in the next 12 months in local government regionally and across the state."
Cr Tout's wife, Janine, was surprised he was elected unopposed, but said he was driven when it came to local government.
Councillor Dallas Tout was elected deputy mayor unopposed at the council meeting, replacing Councillor Andrew Negline.
Mayor Rod Kendall withstood a challenge from Councillor Paul Funnell to retain his position at the helm for another 12 months.
Councillor Kendall won 6-4 in an open vote, with Cr Funnell backed by himself and councillors Negline, Yvonne Braid and Kerry Pascoe.
Councillor Julian McLaren was absent for the vote.
Moments after his victory, Cr Tout stressed leadership sat with the entire council, not the two individuals elected to lead them.
"To me the deputy mayor position, and the mayoral position in some ways, is more a representation than a leadership," Cr Tout told The Daily Advertiser on Monday night.
"People call them leadership positions, (but) I don't really do that.
"To me, the leadership still sits within the core group of 11 councillors."
Cr Tout, who works as a finance manager at Charles Sturt University, said the role was another step towards "correctly representing the feelings and the thoughts of the other councillors" regardless of the forum.
Having spent three terms on Gundagai Shire Council (GSC) - including time as deputy mayor - Cr Tout said he would use the relationships he has already forged with other councils to the city's advantage.
"With the local government review going on now, and what's going to happen there, part of that representation is all about relationships," he said.
"I think those kind of networks (developed with GSC) are going to help us moving forward in what's going to be very turbulent times in the next 12 months in local government regionally and across the state."
Cr Tout's wife, Janine, was surprised he was elected unopposed, but said he was driven when it came to local government.
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