THANKS TO OUTGOING MAYOR MIKE ROUSE
With the rest of the council participating through Zoom, outgoing Mayor, Mike Rouse and the Mayoress, his daughter Lauren, thanked everyone for their support over the past two years and two months. Some 250 engagements big and small had been carried out during the year before the lockdown. He was particularly grateful that the new idea of a community supper had been such a success at the end of February and that he had been able to enjoy a 80th Birthday celebration at that event with what was also his 50th year as a city councillor.
THE MAYOR’S CHARITY
Thanks to a very generous donation from KD Theatre he was able to present some Mayor’s Charity cheques to the City of Ely Military Band, .the wonderful Therapy Dogs, the Air Cadets and the Army cadets and three individuals: Rosie Scott, Ian McKendrick and Ruby Crystal Williams of Ely Rocks. The outgoing Mayor was then thanked by Cllr Alison Whelan who praised his work for both reforming the business practices of the council and his support for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Ely.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ELY’S NEW MAYOR & DEPUTY MAYOR
The badges of office were then handed over to Cllr Sue Austen and her consort Cllr Arnie Arnold. Cllr Austen has been a city councillor since 2015, is a current East Cambs District Councillor and former Cambridgeshire County Councillor. She brings a wealth of life experience to the office and Cllr Arnold, while only elected to the city council last year has much knowledge and experience gained when his wife, the former councillor Alison Arnold, was deputy Mayor from 2018-2019. The newly elected Mayor said that she was fully aware of the responsibilities and duties attached to the role and was passionate about Ely and our community. She is looking forward to meeting people and raising the profile of the City Council. Another new councillor elected in 2019, Cllr Richard Morgan, was unanimously elected Deputy Mayor and his wife, Jane, will serve as his consort.
Cllr Austen has asked Father Paul Andrews of St Peter’s Church to be her chaplain
COMMITTEE APPOINTED
The annual Mayor Making also saw the appointment of the new Committees and as part of an ongoing re-structuring of the council there will be four main committees: Personnel, Finance and Governance, Climate Change and Environment, Assets and Tourism and Town Centre. These will be supported by various working groups..
CONTINUING ONLINE
For the foreseeable future all the council meetings will continue to be virtual meetings using Zoom and members of the public are very welcome to join the meetings but they will need to contact the clerk in advance for the passcode.