New Mayor of Calderdale will have to wait for ceremony

Calderdale was scheduled to have a new Mayor this week – but with the coronavirus crisis ongoing, current Mayor Dot Foster will continue in the role for the time being.
The current Mayor of Calderdale Dot FosterThe current Mayor of Calderdale Dot Foster
The current Mayor of Calderdale Dot Foster

The Mayor-making ceremony forms part of the council’s annual meeting which was due to be held on Wednesday, May 20, with Coun Chris Pillai (Con, Rastrick) chosen by councillors to take over from Coun Foster (Lab, Sowerby Bridge).

The handover of the chain of office and ceremonial robes normally forms the first half of the meeting in the council chamber at Halifax Town Hall and is a convivial occasion for the retiring and incoming civic heads and their families alike.

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But the coronavirus pandemic means meetings cannot take place in physical form at the moment and with uncertainty about when that might change, the council has not yet made a decision on rescheduling the event, a centrepiece of Calderdale’s civic calendar.

Similarly, the annual meeting is when many other positions, for example representatives of the council to serve on outside bodies, are chosen.

As things stand, Coun Foster will continue to fill the role of Mayor until such time as the council can hold an annual meeting or will continue until next May, 2021 – this has still to be fully decided.

Likewise all appointments to various bodies which were made at last year’s annual meeting also remain in place at the moment, according to the council’s regulations.

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