Airlie Keen elected Deputy Mayor of Murray Bridge
The councillor and one-time political candidate will take over as Wayne Thorley’s right-hand woman.
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Airlie Keen has been elected the new Deputy Mayor of Murray Bridge, succeeding Andrew Baltensperger.
Cr Keen was one of two candidates nominated at a council meeting on Monday night, but was elected unopposed after Fred Toogood said he was not interested in the role.
As deputy, she will stand in for Murray Bridge Mayor Wayne Thorley whenever he might be unavailable over the next year.
She will also earn a 25 per cent higher allowance than the other councillors: a little under $4800 extra per year.
Cr Keen had previously put her hand up for the role two years ago.
At that time, a council vote was tied, twice, and Cr Baltensperger’s name ended up being drawn out of a hat.
This time around, Cr Baltensperger had advised that he was happy for someone else to have a go.
Councillors gave a unanimous vote of thanks for his service in the role.
Cr Keen, from Callington, has served on the Murray Bridge council since 2014.
Her day job is in the office of independent state MP Dan Cregan, following a career as an international soccer umpire; and she herself ran for state parliament as an independent in 2022.
