New Mayor for Kyogle – Kylie Thomas

By Lara Leahy

Kylie was successful in the peer election on Wednesday 5th January, 2022 and became the new Mayor of Kyogle. It was a surprise for the community, but Kylie has worked towards this position for some time. Kylie has been a councillor in Ward A since 2016 – elected from 7 people vying for a councillor position. She has put her hand up to become deputy mayor and mayor prior to this election. Successful in 2022, she takes her role seriously, “All councillors should be prepared to take on the role.”
Kylie’s first few weeks are being spent coordinating the new agendas and duties she is taking on, including the Joint Organisation and the Country Mayors Association. She is meeting with the newly elected deputy mayor, Tom Cooper to arrange her first steps with the councillors. The ideal for Kylie is to have the councillors working as a team to carry out their roles.
Providing regular outreach to the community, Kylie intends to have a meeting in each ward every 6 months to ensure that they have a voice that is heard. She is also planning to put time aside during every week when members of the public can come and discuss anything of importance with her directly.
Kylie recognizes the good works done by the upgrading of bridges in the area and wants to add to that legacy. She acknowledges the “amazing diversity of business in the Kyogle council region” and the importance of roads and connectivity to that community. If there are any immediate concerns with potholes or other road safety issues, Kylie recommends that you reach out to one of your local councillors. Their information is available online and on the back page of the Kyogle Council Newsletter.
“At any time, members of the community can write a letter, especially an email to council about any concerns”
Attention also needs to be directed to the rental housing shortage. Kylie spoke of the steady population rise “not as large as surrounding areas, but causing difficulties for people looking to get a foothold in the area.”
Kylie will have a presence on Facebook where she will keep people informed in a vlog style format, speaking directly to the camera. You can also expect to see her at public events, so introduce yourself…