Councillor Angelica Panopoulos has been elected the youngest Mayor of Merri-bek City Council in Victoria on Tuesday.
Cr Panopoulos, a lifelong local, was elected councillor in 2020 to represent the North-West Ward of Merri-bek and will now serve the community as Mayor for the 2022-23 term.
The 23-year-old delivered her acceptance speech at Coburg Civic Centre on Tuesday night.
“We have a wonderful, engaged community in Merri-bek and it is my honour to serve them with integrity over my term,” Cr Panopoulos said.
“Merri-bek is a great place to live, work and play, but there is always more work to be done.”
As the local Greens councillor, Cr Panopoulos has used her position to stand up for locals and families, demanding action, accountability and transparency from the Government to see changes in housing affordability, the rising cost of living, and the lack of transport infrastructure.
The young Mayor aims to be a powerful voice for the people of Merri-bek, by listening and speaking out about services and infrastructure that needs improvement.
“Being elected as Mayor sends a very clear message to our community that young people and young women have the right to be in leadership positions in all parts of our society,” Cr Panopoulos said in a Facebook post.
“The democratic process belongs to all of us.”
Cr Panopoulos said over the next year her focus will include “continuing our work to mitigate the impacts of climate change on our community, and advocating to the State Government on its Level Crossing Removal Project in Brunswick.”
Source: Merri-bek City Council
