Jess Miller steps down as Sydney’s Deputy Mayor
LABOR councillor Linda Scott was voted in on Monday night as Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney after Jess Miller quit the role to spend more time with her family.
NSW
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LABOR councillor and president of Local Government NSW Linda Scott was voted in on Monday night as Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney.
She was nominted by outgoing Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller and fellow Clover Moore team member Jess Scully.
Cr Scott received seven votes to three, beating Christine Forster who was supported by fellow Liberal councillor Craig Chung and Kerryn Phelps, who has nominated as an Independent in the Federal seat of Wentworth.
Last year Cr Scott supported Cr Miller for Deputy Lord Mayor.
Cr Scott will serve a one-year term in the position.
Cr Scott said she was honoured to follow in the footsteps of Labor Deputy Lord Mayors of the City of Sydney such as Verity Firth, who was elected as the Member for Balmain and served in numerous portfolios including the NSW Minister for Women.
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“As Deputy Lord Mayor, I will continue to stand up for the public good to ensure our residents and businesses live in a City that is fair, fun and more affordable,” she said in a statement.
“As Deputy Lord Mayor, I will continue to fight for more affordable housing in the City, more parks and open green spaces, more support for childcare, libraries and other essential services, and the building of long-promised skate facilities at Johnston’s Creek and Sydney Park.
“I am looking forward to working collaboratively with the Lord Mayor and all my fellow Councillors, as well as all City residents and businesses, in the role of Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney.”
Cr Miller stepped down today saying she wanted to spend more time with her family.
“I really wanted to have that experience — it was completely my choice to really go for it and really take advantage of the opportunity and work really hard but you can only sprint a marathon for so long,” she said.
“So I’ll kind of step back a little bit but enough to make sure I can go to work and pay the bills and hang out with my family and support my husband and all that sort of stuff.”
Cr Miller — who stepped into the role aged 33 — is one of the youngest deputy lord mayors in the history of the City of Sydney and described the position as a “pretty epic part-time job”.
She will remain on council but plans to pick up more hours working her day job at sustainability and innovation company, Republic of Everyone.
Cr Miller said she was also looking forward to doing “tuck shop mum stuff” and spending quality time with her six-year-old daughter.
“I’ll be able to do some more tuck shop mum stuff and not miss the assemblies and things so it’ll be good … I think for our family, it’s been a great year but I’m looking forward to having a bit less pressure,” she said.
But the environmental and sustainability activist remained tight-lipped on who will step into her shoes, only saying: “It’s a surprise”.
“I’d be really supporting someone I think can continue some of the work that’s started and can continue to advocate on behalf of the city in a strong and powerful way,” she said.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore did not have the casting vote on this matter.