Mullum Mullum Ward Councillor Paul McLeish has been elected Mayor and Heide Ward Councillor, Michelle Kleinert as Deputy Mayor for 2014-15 at the annual meeting of Manningham Council on 2 December, 2014.

Cr McLeish said holding the office of Mayor is a great privilege and he offered his thanks to his colleagues for the opportunity to lead Council.

“I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen by my fellow Councillors to be the Mayor of Manningham, and I would like to thank them for the opportunity to both represent and serve our City and community.

“I would like to thank our outgoing Mayor Cr Grivokostopoulos for his hard work and dedication as Mayor. Jim was Mayor for every resident always welcoming and always engaging. He did an outstanding job in both bringing a high profile to the position, and in representing the people of Manningham.”

“We are half way through our term of office, and I am pleased that we as a Council, have achieved a great deal together and made considered decisions for the benefit of our community.”

“During this mayoral term I will continue to emphasise the importance of listening to our community and of working together towards our common goals.”

“Now, more than ever, this Council is about placing the residents first, and it has been heartening to watch the necessary reshaping of many key operations.”

“We asked the organisation to find new and innovative ways to foster improvements and I am very pleased that this has been embraced at all levels, and significant progress has been made," he said

This is Cr McLeish’s first term as Manningham Mayor, and he is the first mayor from the Mullum Mullum ward since 2006.