Agenda item
Vote of Thanks to the Outgoing Mayor
- Meeting of Annual meeting, Council, Wednesday 17 May 2017 7.00 pm (Item 3.)
- View the background to item 3.
For the incoming Mayor to invite a vote of thanks for the outgoing Mayor, in accordance with Standing Order 32 (c).
Minutes:
The Mayor invited Councillor McLennan to propose a vote of thanks for Co-Opted Members serving on the Council’s Committees.
Councillor McLennan stated that the Annual Meeting of the Council was an opportunity to highlight the valued work of the Council’s Co-Opted Committee Members. She outlined that two long standing Co-Opted Members of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, Dr Jeff Levison and Mother Christine Cargill, were standing down after many years of service. Members heard that whilst Co-Opted Members’ roles comprised of being ‘critical friends’ to the Cabinet, their objectivity and counsel aided the Council drive for continued improvement in delivering services for residents. She concluded by thanking all of the Council’s Co-Opted Members for their work on the Council’s Committees over the past year.
The Mayor then invited Councillor Butt to propose a vote of thanks in the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Ahmed.
Councillor Butt stated that Councillor Ahmed had been an exemplary and dedicated Mayor to the people of Brent. This, he said, had been evidenced by the vast number of events he had attended and the amount of money he had raised for three charities based in the Borough (Brent Centre for Young People, Sufra North West London and Community Action on Dementia Brent). He stated that the outgoing Mayor had been a model of determination, grit and community spirit in his civic work and had also presided over some key decisions being made at Full Council meetings. Councillor Butt asked everyone assembled at the meeting to join him in offering their sincerest thanks to the work of Councillor Ahmed as Mayor of Brent during the 2016/2017 municipal year.
The Mayor invited Members to make additional contributions in thanking the outgoing Mayor.
Councillor Colwill (Leader of the Conservative Group) congratulated Councillor Chohan on his election as the new Mayor and thanked Councillor Ahmed for his year in office on behalf of the Conservative Group. He said that it had been a pleasure to accompany him to events in Westminster and his inclusivity to all was welcome. He praised his chairmanship of Full Council meetings over the past year where he had treated all Members fairly and equally. Councillor Colwill also referenced the Mayoral support to voluntary groups and placed on record his thanks to all voluntary groups across the borough who were doing invaluable work for residents.
Councillor Warren (Leader of the Brent Conservative Group) also thanked the Mayor for his achievements during his year in office. He praised the number of engagements which the outgoing Mayor had attended. He extended best wishes to Councillor Ahmed on the conclusion of his term and wished the new Mayor well in his role.
Councillor Kabir referenced the high number of events Councillor Ahmed had attended during the past municipal year, and highlighted that many of these were also outside of Brent itself. She stated that she had heard very positive feedback about the Mayor’s presence at events outside of the borough, which had shown what an exemplary ambassador the outgoing Mayor had been for the Council. She also paid tribute to the outgoing Mayoress, Mrs Ahmed, stating that the Mayor would not have been able to achieve such a successful year without her.
Councillor Davidson said that Councillor Ahmed had been a tremendous Mayor of Brent. He mentioned how professional the Mayor had been in hosting an Ulster Unionist delegation, which had contributed to all of the delegation having a fantastic day in Brent. He agreed that Councillor Ahmed had been model ambassador for the Council.
Councillor Dixon praised Councillor Ahmed as being a role model for her. She noted how cheerful and warm he had been at every event and that he had been second to none on ensuring community cohesion. She said that it was a pleasure to represent Dollis Hill ward alongside him.
Councillor McLennan stated that it had been a fantastic and whirlwind year for the outgoing Mayor. She noted how many events he had been to over the course of the year and that residents had nothing but praise for his work. She said that he would be sorely missed in the role but was confident that his fine work would continue under Councillor Chohan. She concluded by also thanking Mrs Ahmed in her role as outgoing Mayoress.
Councillor Kansagra (Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group) praised the outgoing Mayor, stating that in his 17 years as a Councillor he had not seen a Mayor attend as many functions as Councillor Ahmed. He also commended his fundraising work and stated that he would welcome Councillor Ahmed back as Mayor again in the future.
Councillor Agha concurred with all the remarks already made. He stated that the outgoing Mayor had been a hugely popular Mayor and wished him all the best for the future.
The Mayor then invited Councillor Ahmed to respond and review his year in office.
Councillor Ahmed stated how proud he was to have been elected as the first Mayor of Brent of Bangladeshi origin. He placed on record his appreciation for all of the support from both Officers and Members that he had received during his Mayoral year. He welcomed Councillor Mahmood to his new role as Deputy Mayor and thanked Councillor Chohan and Mrs Chohan for all of their hard work during the 2016/2017 civic year. He gave a recap of his year in office, noting that he had attended nearly 800 events and had been privileged to meet so many inspiring, talented and generous people across the borough. He referenced the three charities he had been supporting (Brent Centre for Young People; Sufra North West London; and Community Action on Dementia Brent) and announced that over £40,000 had been raised to share between them over the course of the civic year. He thanked everyone who had been involved in the fundraising efforts. Councillor Ahmed also took a moment to pay tribute and present a certificate to Councillor Thomas, who was celebrating 25 years as a Councillor in Brent and Newham.
The outgoing Mayor stated that it had been a privilege to represent the borough at so many events and welcome so many visitors to the Mayor’s Parlour at the Civic Centre. He concluded by thanking his close friends and family for their patience and continued love and support throughout the year.