Councillor Geoff McDonald has been chosen by his peers as the new Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor, following the retirement of Paul Antonio.

The Mayor was elected almost unanimously by councillors, with only Cr Carol Taylor standing against.

Cr Taylor said that in her view, the culture of Council was “not great” and that she believed that gender diversity was not valued.

After being selected as Mayor, Cr McDonald said he was incredibly honoured and understands how much of a responsibility it is to be in this position.

“I’m also aware of how big the shoes are that I have to fill and will do my best to repay the faith which has been shown in me by my colleagues and the community,” he said.

Cr McDonald said as Mayor, he promises that he will fight and advocate on behalf of this community to get the best possible outcomes for residents.

“I will represent the community with honour and dignity and do my utmost to be a leader you can be proud of and one that will always be available to each and every resident.”

A new Deputy Mayor to replace Cr McDonald will be chosen at an upcoming meeting.

The new Deputy Mayor will be selected from among the current Councillors.

Nominations for the vacant Councillor position will open soon, and will be voted on by Council.

Nominees must be invited from any person who is qualified to be a Councillor, and from each person who was a candidate for election at the previous local government election in 2020.

Notices calling for nominations will be published in the coming weeks and former candidates will be individually notified.

Council must then meet and formally resolve to fill the vacant office of Councillor by appointing one of those nominees within two months from today.

The Council will then serve until the March 2024 election.

This article appeared in On Our Selection News, 27 July 2023.