Melbourne’s newly crowned Lord Mayor Nick Reece pledged on Sunday to make the city cleaner, safer and greener as part of his campaign to retain the top job at the October council elections this year.
Reece was presented with the mayoral robes and gold chains on Tuesday after four years as Sally Capp’s loyal deputy.
In an interview with the Herald Sun, Reece confirmed he will run for Lord Mayor at the upcoming council elections, and laid out his long-term vision for the city.
If elected, Reece promised to dedicate $10 million to illuminating the city in a bid to increase safety and boost night-time trading.
“I will do whatever it takes to make sure Melbourne is safe and clean,” he told the Herald Sun.
The Lord Mayor added that his priorities include improving the city’s economy, investing in more green spaces, and ensuring Melbourne has a well-run Town Hall and balanced budget. For the first time in five years, the City of Melbourne wrangled its 2024-25 budget back in the black, with a “modest surplus” of $101,000.
With only about 100 days until the election in October, Reece has a limited amount of time as Lord Mayor to woo voters, but he’s confident people will know his priorities and vision.
Reece now joins pollster Gary Morgan and Labor’s Phil Reed in the mayoral race.
With the battlelines being drawn up, Reece credits his wife Felicity Pantelidis and three daughters, aged 16, 14 and 11, with keeping him “sane.”
“I actually can’t put into words how much I love my family,” he said. “They are literally my everything and without them, I am nothing. They’re there at the start of the day, there at the end of the day.
“It’s fair to say, as the father of three daughters, they keep me well and truly grounded.”
