The Local Government Association (LGA) of South Australia has announced a new President effective immediately, following a Special Meeting held on 21 November where nominations for the vacant role were received and voted on.
Kimba District Council Mayor, Dean Johnson, has been appointed to the position.
Mayor Johnson said it was a great honour to fulfil the duties of LGA President for the remainder of the Board’s two-year term and that he looked forward to getting started.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be entrusted with the responsibility of representing South Australia’s 68 councils as President,” Mayor Johnson said.
“The LGA provides effective advocacy on a variety of important issues affecting our councils including addressing housing affordability and supply, particularly in regional areas, tackling medical workforce shortages, coastal disaster mitigation and road infrastructure funding, to name just a few.
“I intend on providing a strong, clear voice for the local government sector in this important leadership role over the coming years.”
Mayor Johnson has almost two decades of local government experience and was recently elected to a third term in the top job at Kimba District Council, adding to the 12 years he earlier spent as a councillor.
He also currently serves as chair of the LGA’s South Australian Regional Organisation of Councils (SAROC) committee and is president of the Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association.
LGA CEO, Clinton Jury, welcomed the appointment of Mayor Johnson as LGA President and highlighted the wealth of knowledge he will bring to the role.
“Dean has almost 20 years’ experience in local government, having led Kimba District Council as Mayor since 2014 and represented his community for many years as an elected member before that,” Mr Jury said.
“On behalf of the entire LGA Secretariat, I congratulate Mayor Johnson on his appointment as LGA President and greatly look forward to working together to represent our sector.”
Former Naracoorte Lucindale Mayor, Erika Vickery, was earlier appointed to the LGA presidency in October; however, as she was not re-elected during the November council elections, the LGA constitution required the Board to install a replacement.
This replacement needed to come from the remaining Board members who also sit on the LGA’s SAROC committee.
The LGA will explore with member councils any improvements that can be made to the constitution to prevent a similar reoccurrence from happening in the future.
Featured image: (Left to right) LGA SA’s CEO, Clinton Jury, with LGA SA President, Mayor Dean Johnson. Image: The Local Government Association (LGA) of South Australia.
