Agenda item

Cllr  J.H. Marsh will move and Cllr T.D. Bridgeman will second:

“That Councillor MOHAMMAD SALIM CHOUDHARY be elected Mayor of the Borough to hold office until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2021.”

On his election, the Mayor will make his Declaration of Acceptance of Office in accordance with Section 83 of the Local Government Act, 1972.

Nominations were invited for the election of the Mayor of the Borough for the Municipal Year 2020/21.  It was MOVED by Cllr J.H. Marsh; SECONDED by Cllr T.D. Bridgeman - That Cllr Mohammad Salim Choudhary be elected Mayor of the Borough to hold office until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2021.

RESOLVED: That Councillor MOHAMMAD SALIM CHOUDHARY be elected Mayor of the Borough to hold office until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2021.

The Mayor then made his Declaration of Acceptance of Office in accordance with Section 83 of the Local Government Act, 1972 and took the Chair.

THE MAYOR (CLLR M.S. CHOUDHARY) IN THE CHAIR

The Mayor expressed his pleasure at the privilege and honour of being elected Mayor of Rushmoor.  He thanked his proposer and seconder and the Council for supporting his nomination.  He then proceeded to signify the appointment of his wife, Mrs Gul Choudhary, as the Mayoress.  He thanked his wife and four daughters for the solid support they had given to him over the years and for their understanding in him taking on the role as Mayor.  The Mayor also signified the appointment of the Reverend George Newton, as the Mayor’s Chaplain.  Reverend Newton was from the Holy Trinity Church in Aldershot.  The Mayor would also be inviting representatives of other faiths to lead prayers at future Council meetings.

The Mayor paid tribute to the late Frank Rust, who had been a truly outstanding councillor and a great man who cared passionately about the community he had clearly been proud to serve.  Frank Rust had had the rare quality of absolute integrity and had been one of the most honest people he had known.  The Mayor felt that he would have been an outstanding and popular Mayor, as he had been when he first carried out the role.

The Mayor paid tribute to the local community who had responded so well to the coronavirus pandemic.  He was proud of the way people had come together to support the elderly and vulnerable across the Borough throughout such difficult and unprecedented times.  The Mayor paid tribute to the NHS and spoke of his gratitude for the work they did.  

The Mayor expressed his thanks to the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Sue Carter, for the service she had given to the Borough.

The Mayor stated that he would be focusing on a number of key priorities during his Mayoral Year.  Firstly, he intended to do all he could to promote positive mental health and to stamp out the stigma often associated with mental health issues.  Mental health affected everyone in society and was a particular issue in the north of Hampshire; anxiety, depression and suicide could affect anyone and feelings of stigma and isolation often stopped people from reaching out for the treatment they needed.  The Mayor said that, with suicide, self-harm and substance abuse numbers steadily rising, prevention and early intervention was the key.  He felt that the mental health of the Borough’s community must be valued and now, more than ever, it was the Council’s responsibility to ensure people knew that they were not alone.  With this in mind, the Mayor announced that he would be supporting Broadhurst Welcome Home Community Ltd, a local charity which existed to provide help and support to those with serious mental illness in the Borough and surrounding areas.  The Mayor’s other nominated charity was Parity for Disability, which provided vital services to children and young adults with multiple disabilities.

The Mayor looked forward to the year ahead and working with fellow councillors in support of the Borough’s community.  He stated that, as they moved forward together into the new municipal year, which would bring challenges and opportunities, he felt confident that, as a Council team, they were motivated and determined to deliver the aspirations of residents who had entrusted them as their public representatives.