By Tyler Waugh / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Mount Pearl council has voted unanimously to appoint councillor Jim Locke as the interim deputy mayor, filling the void left by Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley taking medical leave until the fall.
Kieley was granted leave effective May 27 to September 30.
“With the absence of the Deputy Mayor, council has determined that it is in the best interest of the council to appoint an acting Deputy Mayor for the period of the leave of absence,” read a recommendation from staff.
Locke is the longest-serving member of council. This is his fifth-consecutive term since being first elected in a 2007 byelection.
Kieley was first elected in September 2021, earning the most votes of any council candidate and served as deputy mayor. She was re-elected in October 2025, again earning the most votes and resuming duties as deputy mayor.