History was made on Monday (17 April) as the first Charter Mayor of Harrogate in more than a century was sworn into office.
Our executive member for health and adult services, Cllr Michael Harrison, will don the chains of office following a vote of the charter trustees of Harrogate.
The non-political role will involve Cllr Harrison, the local member for Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate division, attending ceremonial and civic occasions, such as Remembrance events.
The charter trustees were established on April 1 when Harrogate Borough Council, including the role of the borough’s mayor which dates back to 1884, was abolished, along with the county council and the county’s other six borough and district councils, to be replaced by North Yorkshire Council.
The trustees are made up of the ten councillors who represent the unparished areas of Harrogate and ensure the continuation of the civic, historic and ceremonial traditions of the former borough council.
Cllr Harrison said: “It is a great honour for me to be elected as the Charter Mayor for Harrogate for the next year.
“The last Charter Mayor in Harrogate dates back to the early 1880s before the town received its Charter of Incorporation in 1884 and people could elect their first council.
“It is important that Harrogate’s civic legacy is preserved and that is what we as charter trustees intend to do.”
At the same meeting Cllr Chris Aldred of the High Harrogate and Kingsley division was voted in as Deputy Charter Mayor.
Cllr Aldred said: “I look forward to my year in the role and continuing the proud civic traditions of Harrogate.”
A community governance review is currently ongoing into the possible creation of town councils for Harrogate and Scarborough to ensure grassroots democracy is extended across the whole of North Yorkshire. Should a town council be created it would be formed for administrative purposes from April 2024, and the first elections would be on May 2, 2024, when 19 town councillors would be elected for a reduced term of three years. At this point the charter trustees would be abolished and the power to elect the mayor passed to the town councillors.
Elections for the town council would then take place every four years from 2027.
Consultation on the draft recommendations is continuing with the conclusions to be presented to us this summer.
Residents have until May 5 to take part in the consultation.