First Lord Mayor of new council elected

The first Lord Mayor of the New Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council has been elected.

At the first historic annual meeting of the new council held last Thursday evening, DUP Councillor Darryn Causby was elected as Lord Mayor Designate and Sinn Féin Councillor Catherine Seeley as Deputy Lord Mayor Designate under the D’Hondt system.

Mr Causby said in his inaugural address: “The three existing councils of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon have a long history of working together successfully on collaborative projects, which has allowed the council in shadow form to make considerable strides towards creating a strong, dynamic council.”

He continued that he hoped to be “a fair and equitable Lord Mayor” and that his “emphasis would be on the economy, given that this new council area will be the largest in Northern Ireland outside of Belfast.”

Upper Bann MP David Simpson commented on Mr Causby’s appointment. “It is an honour for me as member of Parliament for Upper Bann to congratulate my friend and colleague Cllr Darryn Causby on his appointment to the prestigious role of Lord Mayor of the ABC Council. This is an historic moment as we enter into a new era of Local Government for our area. Since first entering Craigavon Borough Council; Darryn has shown a desire and determination that has made both his constituents and the DUP proud to have on their side. I want to wish Cllr Causby well as he seeks to grow the ABC area into an ideal place to work, live and do business in.”

Sinn Féin’s Catherine Seeley has been elected as the first ever Deputy Lord Mayor of the new Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council. Ms Seeley said she hoped to continue the work she had done as the Deputy Mayor of Craigavon and planned to do her best to represent the new council area.

The new Lord Mayor will be a prominent ambassador for the new council area, representing 204,000 people who reside in the borough. He will be based in The Palace Demesne, Armagh. Taking up his position on April 1, Mr Causby will help to deliver some of the key priorities for the borough – prospering the place; serving the people; and strengthening its position.

Ten Aldermen were elected in recognition of their service to their respective parties: Alderman Ian Burns; Alderman Freda Donnelly; Alderman Arnold Hatch; Alderman Elizabeth Ingram; Alderman Carla Lockhart; Alderman Junior McCrum; Alderman Paul Rankin; Alderman Robert Smith; Alderman Jim Speers and Alderman Kenneth Twyble.