Maurice Collison has been voted the new Mayor of the Upper Hunter Shire Council in New South Wales.
He replaced Wayne Bedggood who resigned suddenly last week after five years in the role.
Mr Collison, who was first elected to council in 2012 and had been the deputy mayor since April 2015, said it was exciting to be voted into the top job.
"It's a great privilege from my fellow councillors to have faith in me to lead them and represent the whole of the Upper Hunter Shire Council as Mayor," he said.
Mr Collison comes from a long line of local government representatives, with multiple family members having served on local councils.
"My grandfather spent 12 years in local government, my father [spent] 14 years and a few years as deputy," he said.
"My uncle did 10 years in service and by the time I finish up, I will have done nine years, so there is 40-odd years of local service the Collisons have put forward and I'm very proud to have that name.
"It's in the blood — I'm the only one to move onto Mayor so they are probably all looking down on me and asking what am I doing?"
Mr Collison has been a grazier in Woolooma for many years and has lived in the Scone region all his life.
Kiwa Fisher new Deputy Mayor
Kiwa Fisher has been elected Deputy Mayor, after being elected to council in 2012.
Mr Fisher moved to the region in 1999 to manage a thoroughbred stud and now runs a catering business with his wife in Scone.
This is his first time serving as Deputy Mayor.
At the extraordinary meeting on Tuesday evening, the council also voted that there would be no by-election held for the vacancy left by Wayne Bedggood.
Mr Collison said it was a simple decision for Council to make, given it could cost up to $150,000.
"We won't be having a by-election and we will go through now to the end of the term which is September 2021," he said.
Due to coronavirus concerns, local government elections in NSW were postponed for 12 months.
