Stafford Mayor Making moves online
Stafford’s new First Citizen is to be elected virtually for the first time in the borough Mayoralty’s 407-year history next week.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to council meetings being held online, rather than in person in chambers, for the past year.
And on Tuesday Stafford Borough Council’s annual meeting – which is required to be held each year by law – will become a virtual session too, starting with the “Mayor-Making”.
Normally each new Stafford Borough Mayor takes office at a ceremony in the town centre held during the Annual Council Meeting.
In recent years this has taken place in the Gatehouse Theatre, in front of an audience of invited guests, and the occasion has included a procession through Market Square.
Mayor-Making was put on hold in Stafford last year during the first national lockdown, meaning the 2019/20 Mayor, Councillor Gareth Jones, remained in office for an extra year.
Councillor Tony Nixon, who was due to take on the chains of office in May 2020, will now become Mayor a year later than planned and serve as the Borough’s First Citizen during 2021/22.
Guidance
Councillor Peter Jones, who has served as Deputy Mayor for three successive terms, will continue in this role.
The move from physical to virtual Mayor Making will mean that Councillor Jones is unable to hand over the chain of office to his successor in person however. Instead arrangements will be made for the Mayor Elect to receive the chain before Tuesday’s ceremony.
The event will also be taking place a month earlier than the usual May meeting.
A relaxation of rules allowing councils to hold meetings remotely instead of in person is due to come to an end on May 7. The Government has advised councils to consider holding their annual meetings virtually before this date if possible.
Stafford Borough Council spokesman Will Conaghan said: “It will be the first time in history that the annual mayor making will be held virtually.
“We have held several virtual council meetings over the previous 12 months due to Covid-19.
“The annual council meeting was moved forward to April following guidance we received from Government regarding virtual meetings.”
