At a Special Statutory Council Meeting held on Thursday night December 3, Councillor Steve Staikos was unanimously voted Mayor of the Kingston Council for the next twelve months. Councillor Donna Bauer was elected Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Staikos’ election to the role of Mayor coincides with his first anniversary as a Kingston Councillor.
All Councillors attending the Special Meeting welcomed the outcome of the election and wished the new Mayor success in the coming year.
Aged 26, Councillor Staikos is one of Kingston’s youngest Mayors and follows in the footsteps of his fellow North Ward Councillor, Arthur Athanasopoulos, who was just 24 when first elected Mayor. Like outgoing Mayor Athanasopoulos, Councillor Staikos will be a full-time Mayor of the City.
Following the election, Councillor Athanasopoulos pledged his support to Councillor Staikos and said he was looking forward to working with him during his Mayoral term.
Councillor Staikos is an avid advocate for the residents of the City of Kingston, having lived in the Clayton and Clarinda region throughout his life.
He attended Clarinda Primary School before completing his secondary education at St Bede’s Secondary College in Mentone. He subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University and a Graduate Diploma of Education at the University of Melbourne
“I am extremely honoured to have been entrusted with this responsibility and look forward to playing a leadership role in guiding the decision making process for the well-being of our wonderful City,” said newly elected Mayor Staikos.
Kingston’s new Mayor has played a key role on a number of Council Committees since his election as a North Ward Councillor in November last year, including placing a major focus on the City’s young people with his involvement on the Kingston Youth Festival Committee and the Kingston Youth Advisory Committee.
Councillor Staikos describes himself as a collaborative, focused, and hard working Councillor and on his election as Mayor he nominated a range of issues he believes require the ongoing attention of the Kingston Council.
“Over the coming year I will endeavour to maintain Council’s focus on stopping inappropriate development in the Green Wedge, address the needs of Kingston’s ageing population, continue Council’s focus on supporting diverse communities and protect the interests of local residents.”