To elect a Mayor for the 2016/2017 municipal year.
The outgoing Mayor will address the Council for up to 5 minutes to include any presentations that the Mayor may wish to make.
The outgoing Mayor will then call for nominations for the Office of Mayor for 2016/2017.
The outgoing Mayor will ask the Council to vote on the nomination(s).
At this point in the proceedings the outgoing Mayor and the incoming Mayor will adjourn to the Mayor’s Parlour to place the Cloak and Chain of Office on the incoming Mayor.
The incoming Mayor to take the chair and make the Declaration of Acceptance of Office as required by Section 83(3) of the Local Government Act 1972.
The Mayor to address the Council for up to 5 minutes.
The Mayor to present the Past Mayor’s Badge to the outgoing Mayor.
Minutes:
Parry Batth, the current Mayor made a speech to the Council during which he welcomed and introduced the six newly elected Members.
The Mayor stated that he was proud to have been the first Sikh Mayor of Wokingham and that it had been a great honour for him to have been elected Mayor and thanked the Members for their support throughout the year. He paid tribute to his wife Surinder for her help and support during his mayoral year. The Mayor also thanked Bob Pitts, Deputy Mayor, Andy Couldrick the Chief Executive, Anne Hunter, Service Manager Democratic Services and Ann-Marie Bonwick, Civic Communications Officer, for the support and advice that they had provided to him over the municipal year.
The Mayor was pleased to announce that over the municipal year, approximately £12,000 had been raised for his charity, ARC, which provided advice and support for young people and their parents. Children’s mental health was a priority in the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and of the Children and Young People’s Partnership. The Mayor had been proud to recently attend the first Wokingham Walk, organised by the Wokingham Lions, which had raised funds for his chosen charity.
The Mayor commented that he had thoroughly enjoyed his representational duties which had included visiting care homes and schools and participating in citizenship ceremonies. During the municipal year he had welcomed His Royal Highness the Duke of York, His Royal Highness the Earl of Wessex and the Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex to the Borough and had also attended the Queen’s Garden Party. He had been honoured to attend mock trials at Reading Crown Court which local schools had participated in. The Holt School had won the regional finals and would be participating in the national finals.
The Mayor called for nominations for the office of Mayor for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.
It was proposed by Rob Stanton and seconded by Lindsay Ferris that Bob Pitts be elected as Mayor for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.
The Mayor also supported Bob Pitt’s nomination.
It was unanimously agreed that Bob Pitts should be elected as Mayor for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.
RESOLVED: That Bob Pitts be elected as Mayor for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.
Bob Pitts made the statutory acceptance of office pursuant to Section 83 of the Local Government Act 1972.
Bob Pitts thanked the Council for electing him as Mayor which he regarded as a great honour. He would do his best to uphold the traditions and values of the Council.
The Mayor commented that he lived in Ruscombe and represented Remenham, Wargrave and Ruscombe, one of the most northern wards. He would endeavour to ensure that the more northern wards felt more involved.
He looked forward to being an ambassador for Wokingham and would serve the residents of the Borough with enthusiasm and dignity
The Mayor commented that his chosen Mayoral charity for the municipal year would be Wokingham Mencap and all money raised throughout the municipal year would be used to fund the Wokingham Borough Family Liaison Worker to provide preventative early intervention support. The aim of the role was to stop families reaching crisis point by providing personalised emotional and practical support.
The Mayor paid tribute to Parry Batth for his support and guidance during his term of office as Deputy Mayor. He went on to thank Ann-Marie Bonwick and Anne Hunter and her team for their support. Lastly he thanked his partner Val for her continued support.