Hargreaves, Taylor re-elected mayor and deputy for another year

RE-ELECTED Ballarat mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves and her deputy, Cr Ben Taylor, were officially presented to the public on the steps of the Town Hall this morning.

The presentation, led by Town Crier Hedley Thomson, followed the City of Ballarat’s statutory meeting on Monday night, where Cr Hargreaves was voted into a second term.

It will be Cr Taylor’s third stint as deputy mayor and a continuation of the position he held in the 2024-25 municipal year.

“It feels absolutely amazing, and I’m so grateful to my fellow councillors and to the people of the City of Ballarat,” Cr Hargreaves said.

“I’m just really grateful and really honoured for the privilege to serve as the mayor for another 12 months

“I feel like I’ve got a lot of work to do in the next 12 months and I would love to keep going with the consistency that we’ve got through the organisation and with the public.”

Cr Hargreaves said she wanted to make sure she and her colleagues are an effective councillor group and that they deliver on the council plan.

“I know we’ve got a lot of hurdles ahead of us with the state election (in 2026) and I want to make sure we get the very best results we can for Ballarat,” she said.

Wadawurrung Traditional Owner Shannen Mennen performed a Welcome to Country when councillors gathered for the statutory election on Monday.

After the vote, Cr Hargreaves was presented to the Town Hall chambers in the official mayoral robes and chains, accompanied by the Sovereign Hill Red Coats.

The traditional ringing of the heritage Alfred Bells at Town Hall concluded official activities.

The first normal council meeting with Cr Hargreaves and Cr Taylor in their roles is scheduled for Wednesday 26 November.