That's when the council is to hold its monthly meeting.

On Monday Mr Chamberlain won a Victorian Electoral Commission countback to replace councillor John Watson who resigned in October due to a cancer diagnosis.

His key role initially will be to determine who is the next mayor after a vote last month involving then incumbent Kev Poulton and challenger Ron Mildren resulted in a 3-3 deadlock.

"I'll talk to everybody and work out what's right and vote with my conscience, that's what I'll do," Mr Chamberlain said.

"The other option is to go 'I'm here now, give me the mayoral robes' but I don't think that's very practical."

Mr Chamberlain said he was keen to resolve the mayoralty soon, noting a motion had previously been passed allowing it to be undecided until January 16.

"If possible I'd like to get the vote brought forward to December 19 to get it out of the way because the uncertainty of not having a mayor is no good for anybody," he said.

Mr Chamberlain is a member of the Liberal Party and was a volunteer helper on Benambra MP Bill Tilley's recent successful campaign in the Victorian election.

He will be joining two other party members, Ron Mildren and Libby Hall, on the council but he said he was not interested in forming a voting bloc or having his political tie seen as a pointer to how he will decide matters.

"I'm a firm believer that party politics don't belong in local government, so my Liberal Party affiliation would have no bearing on my decisions in council," Mr Chamberlain said.

"I don't agree with every Liberal Party policy, just because I'm a member it won't determine my position on votes.

"I also don't believe in voting blocs and consider they don't produce any goodwill or trust in the system.

"I'm there to represent the people and my conscience and that's how I'll vote on every single issue."

One of Mr Chamberlain's siblings, Kathy, works for Mr Tilley but the new councillor says he has "three sisters and three brothers that work all over the place".

He also had a noteworthy father.

Rex Chamberlain was the mayor of Wodonga from 1977 to 1980 and a councillor between 1971 and 1985 after emigrating from Britain as a child and serving in the Army.

"The big thing about him was integrity," Mr Chamberlain said of his father who died in 2016 aged 91.

"People always knew where he stood on issue, whether they agreed or disagreed with him, and I'd like to continue that sort of thing.

"If I could do one-twentieth of what he did over the term I would consider myself a success."

Mr Chamberlain now lives in the former Housing Commission property in central Wodonga where he grew up.

However, despite those roots, the qualified mechanic says they will not define his outlook as a councillor.

"I don't believe necessarily coming from a commission house background that I'm more or less able to represent anybody - everybody needs a voice," Mr Chamberlain said.

The former student of St Augustine's Primary and Wodonga High said he campaigned on "openness and integrity" and they were his guiding principles.

Mr Chamberlain received congratulations from acting mayor Graeme Simpfendorfer and council chief executive Matthew Hyde on Monday.

He expects to be sworn in as a councillor next Monday to allow him to attend his first briefings that day.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Greens party candidate Rupinder Kaur was runner-up to Mr Chamberlain in Monday's countback which is Wodonga's second since the election in 2020.

Meanwhile, a new councillor for Moira Shire was also decided by a recount on Monday morning.

US immigrant Scott Olsen, who lives at Koonoomoo west of Cobram, was chosen ahead of former Moira deputy mayor Wendy Buck, of Yarrawonga.

That countback was to determine a replacement for councillor John Beitzel, who, along with former mayor Libro Mustica, resigned early last month.

Mr Mustica's successor will be decided by a recount next Monday.

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