Council changes

Week of change for councils

Neill O’Neill

WITH annual general meetings scheduled for Mayo’s three town councils and the County Council in the next week, there will be more gold changing hands in Mayo in the next seven days than Irish athletes are likely to see at the Olympic Games in China. There might also be more fireworks than at the opening and closing ceremonies together.
First up on Wednesday is Westport Town Council, where sparks may well fly as candidates vie for the prestigious necklace that outgoing Cathaoirleach Declan Dever has worn so well over the past 12 months. Rumoured to be in contention are incumbent Leas-Chathaoirleach and Fine Gael councillor, Myles Staunton, along with Independent Martin Keane – who is staring at his fifteenth year without stewardship of the local authority. However, given the publicity attached to the year in the chair, and with local elections due at the end of the next term, don’t be surprised if another of Westport’s veteran politicians throws his or her hat in the ring.
Also on Wednesday, Castlebar will install a new Mayor, and the smart money is on Fine Gael councillor Kevin Guthrie, who will continue a long family tradition on Castlebar Town Council. Fianna Fáil councillor Blackie Gavin should be ratified as his second in command, and will bring a wealth of experience to his post having been Mayor of Castebar on three occasions in the past.
On Thursday comes the AGM of Ballina Town Council and Fianna Fáil councillor Frances McAndrew – Ballina’s first ever lady mayor in 2003 and Deputy Mayor at present – is highly fancied to succeed Padraig Moore as Mayor. However, many of the councillors are keeping their cards in their pockets as opposed to close to their chests, and it seems likely that she will not run uncontested. Uncertainty also remains over who her deputy will be.
Ballina can be one of the most contentious chambers in the county when it comes to electing a leader, and memories will not yet have faded of the controversial AGM two years ago when Cllr Mark Winters was named Mayor ahead of Fine Gael party colleague Michelle Mulherin – a favourite before the voting.
Next Monday Mayo County Council will have a new leader and this will be Swinford’s Fine Gael councillor Joe Mellett. His Leas-Cathaoirleach should be his party colleague, Claremorris based-councillor Tom Connolly. With Fine Gael’s domination of the County Council, this is pretty much a done deal and will come as no major surprise to anyone familiar with the election procedure of the local authority.