![Danny Gibson has been announced at City of Launceston's new mayor. Picture by Paul Scambler Danny Gibson has been announced at City of Launceston's new mayor. Picture by Paul Scambler](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/116320384/eb65bf37-2642-46f0-9d3d-5aaecb175062.jpg/r0_213_4176_2570_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
After several weeks campaigning and a delay in vote counting, Danny Gibson will be the new mayor for City of Launceston council.
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While not officially confirmed, Cr Gibson has received 38 per cent of votes with the next highest candidate behind on 18 per cent.
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Cr Gibson said he was deeply humbled and excited by the news.
"It's an exciting responsibility, and it's a wonderful challenge," he said.
Cr Gibson said he looked forward to working as a unified group with the next City of Launceston council.
"It will be very important with potentially 50 per cent new councillors to get them up to speed with all of the things that are happening in our community, all of the strategic visions, the focus on activation, on pedestrianisation, night-time economy, and ensuring that we continue to work with other levels of government," he said.
"[We need to] ensure that projects that are yet to start but have been committed to come to fruition, projects like our bus interchange and Northern Suburbs Community Centre."
Cr Gibson had spent the past four years as deputy mayor and a total of 11 years in council.
Cr Gibson said he took the risk to run for mayor rather than deputy mayor when outgoing mayor Albert van Zetten announced his retirement in August.
Cr Gibson said he was ready to do the work in the community so council can achieve the best outcomes possible.
"I look forward to throwing everything I've got into this role," he said.
"I know it'll be challenging. I know it will be at times difficult.
"I'm looking forward to working with others to to achieve the best outcomes and putting every ounce of my energy, my grit, my determination, and the best possible version of myself forward, to be able to take on the role and do the best for our community, not just those people that have voted for me, but indeed our whole community."
During the campaign, Cr Gibson faced some challenges with past issues being used against him.
"The overwhelming support from our community goes to to say that they feel confident and happy in having a leader like me, a progressive leader like me, at the helm of our council," he said.
"I look forward to continuing to be myself, to continuing to advocate and support those pockets of our community that need lifting up and I look forward to remaining true to myself over the journey that this role takes me on."
Cr Gibson said while the agenda ahead was full due to the work the previous council had done, there were challenges ahead.
"Our finances and the financial parameters that we're working in make it challenging," he said.
"We understand that the cost of living is a significant concern and we understand fully that for many in our community rents, and housing of any sort is difficult...there needs to be a lot of work that is undertaken in that space."
Cr Gibson said he hoped to balance both his council work and his work in the arts community.
"I've always been really busy person and most importantly, I've been a contributor to our community," he said.
"There'll be some elements of me that need to remain in order for me to be the same person that people have elected."
A whopping 82 per cent of enrolled voters in the Launceston municipality voted.
The City of Launceston council will see a number of new faces with five of the 12 current councillors not seeking re-election.
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