"Equality and social justice" will be at the heart of the new Cornwall Council.
The authority's new leader, John Pollard said he was determined to create a "positive and forward-thinking council."
Mr Pollard was speaking at an event at County Hall to launch the new cabinet put in place following the elections on May 2. Optimism is at the heart of the new administration with two cabinet members, Geoff Brown from Newquay and Alex Folkes from Launceston both claiming to operate on a "glass half-full" basis.
Mr Pollard said he was fully aware of the challenges ahead with more budget cuts on the horizon but did not want austerity to define the next four years of the council.
He said: "We are dedicated to creating a Cornwall of equality and social justice."
Mr Pollard, an Independent from Hayle North, said he and his cabinet were excited about what lay ahead.
He said: "We are not here just to cut at the Government's whim. We are here to project what Cornwall should be and can be in four years' time.
"Resources will be less, there will be cuts but unless we have hope we will not build a strong Cornwall."
The cabinet is made up of Independent and Liberal Democrat members and Mr Pollard said he hoped to work with all parties for the good of Cornwall.
He said: "In terms of the negotiations it became a two-party alliance in the cabinet but we will do everything we can to keep the other parties involved."
Mr Pollard agreed that the new unitary authority did not start well when it was founded in 2009.
He said: "What I hope is that this is a fresh start, we have a lot of new members.
"I think the angst and antipathy of the loss of the districts is now history. We are a unitary authority working for the whole of Cornwall and we will seize every opportunity to do it successfully."
