Mayor proposal is a non starter

Mayor proposal is a non starter

11 November 2015

RESIDENTS of Newry, Mourne and Down will continue to be led by a council chairman after the failure of a bid to turn the district into a borough.

A union of Sinn Fein, Alliance and independent councillors successfully torpedoed the proposal during a council debate on Monday night which would have led to the title of council chairman being replaced with mayor.

Unionists and the SDLP had argued for borough status because they believed the title of mayor carried more weight abroad, particularly when the area is fighting for more investment and tourism.

Plans for applying for borough status have been on the agenda for a year after it was first proposed and passed unanimously by the Shadow Council’s governance committee, a decision which was then approved by the Shadow Council last November.

Discussions had been going on informally between the parties and it had been agreed that the only change would be the designation of the first citizen as a mayor. The normal trappings of borough status, such as red robes and calling councillors aldermen, would not be taken up and the authority would continue to be known as a district council, not a borough council.

Council officials had already been urging the media to refer to the current council chairwoman, Naomi Bailie, as the mayor so sure were they until recently that borough status would become a reality.

However, before Monday night’s special council meeting it became known that the application required Royal assent which was too much for Sinn Fein and other republican councillors who immediately withdrew their support.

The motion to apply for borough status was passed by 20 votes to 16 but under equality legislation it failed because it needed a greater majority to succeed.

The division was along party lines with the SDLP, DUP, UUP and Henry Reilly, who has just joined the TUV, voting in favour, and Sinn Fein, Alliance and four independent councillors voting against.

Speaking on behalf of Sinn Fein, councillor Terry Hearty said his party had seriously considered the proposal but had concluded that the new status diid not tie in with the rural council area.

“Borough means a walled town or a main town with a sprawl around it and that does not tie in with our area,” he said.

“Tourism is our priority and if you look at the area we are trying to promote, I do not know if borough describes it. I am therefore proposing no action.”

Councillor Patrick Brown agreed with councillor Hearty and said he believed there was little benefit that could be gained through the change.

“I have been informed that we could in fact pass a motion to change chair to mayor and that would be cost effective,” he said.

“In the interest of a modern progressive council there is no benefit of proceeding with this application for borough. I do not think any of us needs robes or alderman before our names.”

However, Rowallane DUP councillor William Walker said he was disappointed by the objectors and said he believed Sinn Fein was opposed because the new designation would require the Queen’s assent.

“I believe this can only be good for the district. We had a Mayor in Newry and Mourne Council and it did not seem a problem,” he said.

SDLP councillor Colin McGrath rejected the debate as “silly” and said many of the issues had already been explored by the governance committee.

“We are here because of matters proposed and seconded by Sinn Fein at our governance committee. It is important to have a mayor in charge of our council because of the international understanding of that term,” he said.

Mr McGrath amended the motion to include clarification that neither the councillors’ nor council’s title would be changed as a result.

UUP councillor David Taylor said he was disappointed by Sinn Fein and councillor Brown and said his research showed boroughs benefit economically.

”Sinn Fein has a problem with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth giving assent for this,” he said.

Councillor Henry Reilly pointed out that Sinn Fein was supportive of the similar motion in Newry and Mourne Council.

“I do not want to wear robes or be called alderman, but I have had the benefit of becoming a Mayor,” he said. “It means something that ups the profile of the council.”

DUP councillor Garth Craig said he wondered if Sinn Fein was demonstrating “dinosaur” tendencies by refusing to move forward.

Sinn Fein councillor Roisin Mulgrew urged councillors to proceed to the vote. “People will ask about roads, community policing, about drugs issues or what way the rates are going,” she said.

“Not one person I have worked with has asked me the difference between a chairperson and a mayor. I honestly think not one of them gives a damn. This chamber has more important issues to be dealing with.”