Agenda item

ELECTION OF MAYOR

a) To elect the Mayor for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

b) To invest the Mayor and Mayoress.

(New Mayor in the Chair)

c) The new Mayor to give thanks for their election.

d) To receive a vote of thanks for the retiring Mayor.

e) The new Mayor to make any announcements.

Minutes:

Councillor Chandler proposed Councillor Hewson be elected Mayor of the Borough until the Annual Council meeting in 2023. Councillor Orson seconded the motion and Council

 

RESOLVED

 

that Councillor Hewson be elected Mayor of the Borough of Melton for the period until the Annual Council meeting in 2023.

 

The Mayor signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and he and his consort, Mrs Jane Hewson, were invested with the Chains of Office. Once invested, Councillor Hewson stated the following:

 

“Thank you for electing me as Mayor of the Borough of Melton Mowbray for the coming Municipal year.

 

Thank you to Jane, family, friends & invited guests both here tonight or at home supporting me in this role.

 

As many of you will know I am a farmer.

 

Farmers constantly face many challenges, in his book the 'Resilient Farmer' Doug Avery makes the wise comment that if we only bounce back, we just get to the place that got us into a mess before. We need to bounce forward to a better place.

 

Covid has hit many hard, but together we can help our communities to bounce forward, to the benefit of those who chose us to represent them on Melton Borough Council.

 

My charities for the year are LOROS and Dove Cottage.

 

I would now like to invite Georgina Sanders from LOROS to the lectern to give a speech.”

 

Georgina Sanders from LOROS gave a presentation explaining the work of the charity.

 

Councillor Graham proposed and Councillor Douglas seconded a vote of thanks for Councillor Faulkner as the retiring Mayor.

 

The Mayor, Councillor Hewson, read out his announcements and said:

 

“During Covid, the Council meetings were made available for all time through the audio visual system. Enabling the community to watch meetings at home and see how their Council operates. Given this increased public awareness I am keen that Members are seen to be taking their responsibilities seriously, treating each other with respect, acting professionally, dressing appropriately and upholding the highest standards of conduct at all our meetings.

 

The constitution is a document which sets out how we should conduct our business and I will use this as a reference tool and take advice from Officers during a meeting, where appropriate.

 

As Mayor I commit to presiding over these meetings with integrity and whilst I recognise that robust debate is a good thing, I feel that ensuring our business is conducted in an effective and professional way is equally as important.

 

I will endeavour to make myself available to any Councillor or Council staff who have ideas to help Melton Borough Council work more effectively and provide a better service for the benefit of our community.

 

Our primary focus should be that our constituents are represented and I welcome all Members support with this for future meetings. These are some of my aims and prayer for our future year together.

 

There are a number of upcoming events, they are:

  • On 13 May, I will be attending the mass rehearsal of the lyrics competition at Brownlow Primary School.
  • 19 May- Sanders Senior Living ground breaking ceremony.
  • 20 May - Open day for Covid memorial garden at Country Park.
  • 2 June - lighting of the beacons at the Defence Animal Training Regiment
  • 3 June - first event for my Charities to honour the Queens Platinum Jubilee I will be hosting a Picnic in the Park - It's free entry with a collection for the Mayor's Charities. Entertainment by local band, choirs, schools & colleges. In a mini prom style Concert.  Melton Band are premiering a piece of specially commissioned music for which local school children have written lyrics. It's on Friday 3rd June 12 - 4pm.
  • 20 June - Hosting the Armed Forces Fly the Flag event at Parkside.
  • 24 June - meet with children from Action for Melton Youth for a tour around Parkside. The tour is hosted by Cllr Graham.

 

Finally, I would like to add that we have so much to be proud of as a community & a Council, I am looking forward to representing the Council & the whole of the Borough over the coming year.”