At today’s Inaugural Council meeting, Mayor Tania Gibson was officially sworn in for another three-year term, continuing her dedicated leadership and passion for the Grey District community.
She welcomed and congratulated councillors on the start of the new term, saying, “It’s great to see everyone back, and I extend a special welcome to new member Councillor Birchfield, who unfortunately could not make it today but will be sworn in next week.”
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in the local elections. It is a privilege to serve you, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together in this new term.
“In our Long Term Plan, we all agreed that infrastructure renewal remains our top priority. With our ageing networks, we have extensive forward planning in place for renewals, which will now move ahead in collaboration with our regional partners. Our ratepayers simply cannot sustain constant rate rises, yet we must still invest in the infrastructure needed for now and for future generations. The challenge before us is finding a way to ease the burden on our small rating base, both here in the Grey District and across the Coast, and I hope by working together, we can make real progress on that.”
Her Worship also announced Councillor Allan Gibson as Deputy Mayor. Mayor Gibson said, “Allan has served Council for 12 years and has been my Deputy beside me for the past six years. The role of Mayor is demanding and often requires someone dependable to step in at short notice, and Allan has consistently done so without hesitation. His loyalty and commitment to Council is invaluable.”
Councillor Allan Gibson said, “I’m honoured to be appointed as Deputy Mayor for the third term on Council, and I thank the Grey District and my fellow councillors for their trust and confidence placed in me. I look forward to tackling the important issues and helping make the district a place where people want to come and live".
Mayor Gibson's full inaugural speech is available here:
https://www.greydc.govt.nz/04your-council/news-and-public-notices?item=id:2w0yoe9y917q9s78tzjh
