Proposal for directly-elected mayors in county towns

A radical proposal to appoint directly-elected mayors to three County Galway towns is to be put before the next meeting of the local authority.

The mayoral chains in Tuam, Ballinasloe and Loughrea have been redundant for almost six years following the abolition of the town councils in 2014, as part of local government reform.

The abolition of the town councils resulted in the role of the Mayor being dispensed with, much to the annoyance of local community groups and public representatives who feel that these towns have been deprived of a figurehead.

The proposal by Tuam’s Cllr Karey McHugh will call for elections or plebiscites involve those who had previously voted in the town council elections in Tuam, Ballinasloe and Loughrea and would be held on an annual or, possibly, biannual basis.

It will also be suggested by the Independent councillor that the mayors of these three towns would become part of the Municipal Councils in these areas in an advisory role.

She said that it was a retrograde step to abolish the town councils and consequently dispense with the role of the Mayor.

“A Cathaoirleach of Municipal Council doesn’t really have the same ring to it,” Cllr McHugh added.

“In Tuam, for example, when we had a town council and a Mayor we used to have functions celebrating the Person of the Year and the group of the year but following its abolition, these ceremonies have also gone by the wayside.

“We no longer have a Mayor of the town that can attend events being organised by community groups and even when it comes to functions relating to our twinning with the Bavarian town of Straubing, we no longer have a mayor to represent us.

“I’m told that the loss of the mayors in Ballinasloe and Loughrea have presented similar difficulties,” she added.

She claimed that if Galway County Council had the willingness to restore the position of Mayor to these towns, it would not necessarily require any change to the Local Government Act.

It will be proposed that the Council seek Government approval to hold plebiscites in the three towns for directly-elected mayors to be appointed.

A similar plebiscite is being mooted when Galway City and County Councils are due to be merged in 2021. The plebiscite would ask the people of the county if they want a directly-elected mayor in the event of that merger going ahead.