Patricia Gill, Denmark Bulletin
Councillor Ceinwen Gearon has been re-elected unopposed as shire president and Cr Kingsley Gibson deputy shire president to an environmentally-focused council of predominately women.
Cr Gearon was elected deputy shire president in 2016 and shire president the following year, a position she has served ever since.
She has been elected shire president for another two years. Cr Gibson was elected to the council in 2017.
Newly-elected in Town Ward are Councillors Donna Carman and Donald Clarke who polled 462 and 394 votes, respectively.
Both campaigned on environmental issues and Cr Clarke his involvement in local community groups.
Cr Clarke was 14 votes ahead of businessman Dale Smith.
In Scotsdale/Shadforth Ward, Cr Jan Lewis topped the polling with 563 votes to return for another four years while wildlife conservation director and environmental advocate Clare Campbell gained 530 votes.
Cr Campbell will also serve for four years.
Cr Lewis’s result continues her strong support since she was first elected to the council 10 years ago.
With 472 votes, Cr Nigel Devenport is a new face elected for two years.
The businessman and mountain bike enthusiast beat retiring deputy president Mark Allen by five votes.
Another former deputy shire president, Kelli Gillies, polled 453 while in Kent/Nornalup Ward Cr Jackie Ormsby was elected unopposed to replace long-serving councillor, Roger Seeney.
A psychologist, Cr Ormsby is a former ministerial policy adviser.
Crs Gearon, Gibson and Janine Phillips will serve until their terms expire in 2023.
The new councillors were sworn in before the ordinary council meeting this month.
At the meeting, Crs Allen, Geoff Bowley, Ian Osborne and Seeney were recognised and for their service on the council.
Cr Gearon, in particular, acknowledged Cr Allen who had been a ‘capable and diligent deputy shire president and contributing member of council’.
Cr Allen was elected in 2016, Cr Bowley in 2019 and Crs Seeney and Osborne in 2011, though Cr Seeney stepped down in 2016 to be re-elected in 2017.
Cr Osborne did not serve between 2015-2017.
This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 28 October 2021.
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