Higher chain of office for the mayor

Reporter: Janice Barker
Date online: 19/05/2009

Oldham’s mayoral role is to be given a higher profile with permanent staff and a panel of advisers.

The role of the borough’s first citizen and civic leader has been discussed by all parties on the council and talks will be held again after tomorrow’s annual mayor-making ceremony.

During his or her year of office, the mayor runs council meetings and represents the borough at visits to homes, schools and events across the town, and further afield, during the day and evening.

A new discussion paper suggests that the high profile of the mayor, who is selected annually by fellow councillors, is not being supported by the resources or focus which it deserves.

None of the staff is permanent — the secretary is on secondment, and the attendants are also agency staff.

In addition the civic silver display, which forms part of the approach to the mayor’s parlour and dining room, needs professional cleaning, with new shelving.

The mayor’s car is also four years old and out of warranty.

A guide for all new mayors is being drawn up, and a group of past mayors will share their experiences and also update the mayoral “manual”.

The most critical role is that of mayor’s attendant, but, in the past, overtime payments have made the budget difficult to manage, so temporary agency staff have been used.

Now the proposal is to have two permanent attendants, with their hours spread out across two weeks, including working weekends.

The plans met with approval from former mayor Riaz Ahmad who was runner-up in the national Mayor of the Year contest in 2003.

He said: “The office of mayor is one of the most trusted. The borough needs a properly resourced mayor because the mayor can do so much for the borough.

“I was the first non-white mayor at the most difficult time in the borough’s history (after the 2001 riots), but wherever we went we had absolutely total respect.

“They look to the mayor as the symbol of the borough. It is the office, not the person.”

n The annual Mayor making ceremony takes place tomorrow when Councillor Jim McArdle will be installed as the 36th mayor of the metropolitan borough of Oldham.