Councillor James Hawkins with Interim General Manager Peter Chrystal
Cessnock City Council welcomes back former Deputy Mayor and three-term councillor James Hawkins, who was officially sworn in this morning as the newly elected Ward A Councillor.
Elected to the position via a countback election conducted by the NSW Electoral Commission following the resignation of former Mayor Jay Suvaal, Councillor Hawkins embarks on his fourth term serving the Cessnock community.
A lifelong local, Mount View High School alumni, former Chair of the Local Traffic Committee and two-time Deputy Mayor, Councillor Hawkins expressed enthusiasm returning to Council.
"I'm honoured to have the opportunity to serve our community once again," said Clr Hawkins.
"There's a lot of exciting work ahead, and I look forward to continuing to advocate for the needs of Ward A and the wider Cessnock area."
Cessnock City Mayor Dan Watton congratulated Councillor Hawkins on his election and acknowledged the contributions of former Councillor Jay Suvaal.
"We're pleased to welcome back Councillor Hawkins," said Clr Watton.
"James brings a wealth of experience and I look forward to working together to continue to address the priorities of our community. I also sincerely thank Councillor Jay Suvaal for his contributions and service to our city during his time on Council."
Cessnock City Council meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Members of the public are welcome to attend in-person or online via the live stream on Council's YouTube channel. A full schedule of meeting dates is available here: www.cessnock.nsw.gov.au/meetings
