Yass Valley residents visited the polls for the local government election on September 10. Seven of the nine Yass councillors from the 2012-16 term re-contested election.

Following the announcement on Saturday, two candidates requested a recount from the Electoral Commission, given the close polling following preference voting: a first for the Yass Valley.

The Commission denied one request: the second was accepted but withdrawn by the candidate. The final results were published Monday.    

The new council, in order of election, is: Rowena Abbey, Jasmin Jones, Geoff Frost, Alison Harker, Cecil Burgess, Mike Reid, Nathan Furry, Michael McManus and Kim Turner. 

Crs Reid, Harker, Turner and Furry are the new faces. Former councillors Greg Butler and Ann Daniel didn’t win another term. 

Of the 11,637 residents enrolled to vote, 9322 ballots were counted, almost 20 per cent of voters. Of that, 80.11 per cent turnout, nearly six per cent comprised informal votes.

Cr Nathan Furry set a record as the youngest-ever to be voted onto Yass Valley Council at age 23.

“I'm extremely proud to give an entire generation of voters a seat at our council table for the very first time, and I hope to serve all of our valley to the best of my ability,” Cr Furry said.

“If I were to be considered as a nominee for Deputy Mayor, it would be yet another historic moment in the long history of our council.

“I received a variety of comments regarding age and ‘never getting elected’, and had sharply contrasting ones commending the campaign for its maturity and professionalism.”

While he has his sights set on representing the Yass Valley in other government platforms, he is focused now on local government. 

“I think State and Federal Politics is well worth consideration,” he said. “I have every intention of serving for well beyond one term of local government, and am not swayed by an agenda for state or federal political stardom in the foreseeable future.”

The new council will meet September 28, to elect a mayor and deputy. Crs Abbey, Jones and Frost have expressed potential interest in the mayoral role.