THE newly elected Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) will tonight (January 12) vote to decide the positions of mayor and deputy mayor.

The region will have its first new mayor in more than a decade, with former mayor Tim Overall having held the position for 13 years and who did not contest last year’s council elections.

Kenrick Winchester, a member of the Labor Party who has been on council for two terms as an independent, has been touted as likely to take the position.

He’s backed by Bryce Wilson who ran on top of the Labor ticket with Esma Livermore, the council’s first indigenous person who is considered a possibility for the deputy mayor spot.

While former deputy mayor Michele Biscotti has confirmed he’s too busy with his full-time work to run for mayor, he is considering a tilt at deputy mayor.

Independent Mareeta Grundy officially announced this morning she would throw her hat in the ring for both mayor and deputy mayor.

If elected, she would be the first female mayor in the history of Queanbeyan-Palerang Council – which started as a Borough Council in 1885 with 11 men.

Widespread praise has been heard for the majority of council being represented by women for the first time in its history.

The full council includes:

• Kenrick Winchester, Independent
• Mareeta Grundy, Independent
• Jacqueline Ternouth, Liberal
• Esma Livermore, Labor 
• Bryce Wilson, Labor
• Steve Taskovski, Independent
• John Preston, Labor
• Michele Biscotti, Independent
• Katrina Willis, Greens
• Louise Burton, Liberal
• Edwina Webster, Independent

The meeting will be held at 5.30pm tonight and can be watched online here.