Labor's Darcy Byrne has become the first mayor of the new Inner West council, narrowly seizing victory in a power-sharing deal with the Liberals which blocked the Greens from power.

The battle for mayor on the new 15-seat council was a showdown between Cr Byrne, a former mayor of Leichhardt, and first time councillor Pauline Lockie.

Labor's Darcy Byrne, with running mate Linda Kelly, during his campaign for the Inner West council.

Cr Byrne secured a majority of eight votes after the five Labor councillors brokered a deal with two Liberals councillors and independent Victor Macri.

Cr Byrne was met with solid applause from the packed council chamber as his victory was declared. However, it was punctuated with heckling from members of the public who accused him of "doing a deal with the devil. "