North County Durham & Tyneside
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City’s last mayor warns of difficult year ahead
THE new mayor of Durham says
the re-organisation of local government
will make his year in office
difficult.
Grenville Holland, the longserving
Liberal Democrat city
councillor for Crossgate and
Framwelgate, assumed the role,
having spent the previous year as
deputy mayor. His wife, Olive, is
mayoress.
Coun Holland, who takes over
from Bob Wynn, will be the last
mayor before the city council is
abolished next year to make way
for County Durham's unitary
council.
He is a member of the teaching
staff in Durham University's department
of earth sciences.
In his acceptance speech, he
said: "First, we cannot avoid the
fact that it is going to be a difficult
year. The introduction of a
unitary authority will affect very
many people in this room.
"Most of all, it affects our officers
and staff, those who have
served this council so loyally for
so many years.
"In the coming years, as councillors,
we must do all in our
power to help and encourage the
staff and ease any burden, for
their loyalty has earned our loyalty.
To this end, the office of the
mayor will play its full part in
this essential process.''
Coun Holland said he would
support welfare organisations
and initiatives that promoted
racial and religious harmony.
The mayoral charity will be the
County Durham Society for the
Blind and Partially Sighted -
Coun Holland's journalist father
suddenly went blind and was
helped by his local society.
He told an audience in the
town hall: "In looking to the future,
we must recognise that this
is a vibrant city and one that we
should be proud to call our own.
"This year, however, there will
be significant challenges and we
will need to face them together.
Above all, our heritage and its
legacy must be handed down
safely to the next generation.''
The deputy mayor will be Coun
Ron Dickie, Independent member
for Neville's Cross, who has
been in local government for 60
years, first as an officer, and for
the past 25 years as a city council
member.
Coun Dickie, whose wife Irene
will be deputy mayoress for the
year, said: "I am very much looking
forward to it. I work well with
Grenville, we will work together
as a team.''
1:23pm Wednesday 7th May 2008
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