Cr North has become the eighth mayor of Bathurst Regional Council following the resignation of Bobby Bourke a fortnight ago.

Wednesday afternoon's vote - or lack of it - went as most believed it would with Cr North running unopposed to finally take the region's top job after serving 11 terms as deputy.

It has been a long apprenticeship that should stand him in good stead as he assumes the mayoralty between now and the council elections in September.

Cr North is to be commended for his persistence in continuing to serve on council even as his dream of becoming mayor seemed to be taken away from him time after time.

Perhaps the cruellest example was 10 years ago when Cr North, after loyally serving as Paul Toole's deputy mayor for three years, was defeated for the top job by Greg Westman - with Mr Toole's vote for Cr Westman proving the decider.

That naturally left a bad taste for Cr North but, a decade on, the job is finally his.

Crucially, the timing of his ascension to mayor could not have been better for Cr North. The increased profile that naturally comes with being mayor should guarantee he picks up a few extra votes at the ballot in September and should ensure he is re-elected to council.

Assuming, as many do, only marginal turnover in the faces on council following that election, Cr North should also enter the first meeting of the new council's new term in a strong position to be returned as mayor for another two years.

Before that, though, Cr North faces the uphill challenge of trying to bring together a terribly divided council for the betterment of Bathurst. It's a fight he almost certainly cannot win.

Allegations of bullying and blackmail, on top of the divisive debate over where to build a go-kart track, have created two distinct factions within council and it's hard to see Cr North repairing the damage in the short time he has before September.

But as long he retains the support of a working majority (and with new deputy mayor Monica Morse in his corner there is now a six-strong voting alliance) the council will be able to get through its business without too many more distractions.

Congratulations, Cr North.