The vote a nail-biter, as the eighth vote was drawn, the count sat at four to each candidate. Abbey took the majority on the final vote. 

Abbey won the ballot and will continue her tenure in her role as the first female to ever occupy the seat. 

Kim Turner spoke before council on transparent and opposed the way in which the counting takes place. Ken Helm, present in the gallery, was asked as a independent witness to count the vote. 

Cr Frost Spoke as a nominee before the election, focusing on change. 

“…. During the election a lot of people have spoken about increasing transparency and changing the way we do business. I believe I can lead this and take the council through this change,” he said. “Over the last eight years I have made it my business to to be about all of the Yass Valley. We are a whole community … it is really important that we have those contacts...” 

Cr Abbey says that it has been a privilege to serve as mayor for the last four years.

“I would like to  see us as Councillors to act as a team and move forward together,” she said. “My feedback is that we haven’t got everything right but we are heading in the right direction.”

Councillors Michael McManus, Jasmin Jones and Kim Turner put their hat in the ring in the two staged vote. The first eliminated Cr Jones who received two votes, while Crs McManus (4) and Turner (3) were through to the second round of voting  

Councillor Kim Turner was elected as the Yass Valley Deputy Mayor, winning the ballot with five votes to Cr McManus on four.