About the Mayor
The current Mayor is Councillor Ron Woodley.
Councillor Ron Woodley was inaugurated as the 103rd first citizen of the City on Thursday, 9th May, 2024.
The Mayor’s nominated Charities for the 2024/25 municipal year will be HARP and The Jude Harvey Foundation. For more information about the charities please visit their websites via the following links:
HARP and The Jude Harvey Foundation
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The Role of Mayor
The current protocol is that the Councillor who has served the longest and who wishes to be Mayor, is nominated as Deputy Mayor, they are then automatically nominated to become Mayor the following year.
The role of the Mayor is purely ceremonial. They do continue to carry out ward work, but this must be in their role as a Councillor and not as Mayor.
Within the Council, the Mayor’s main responsibility is to chair the meetings of the Full Council, held in the Council Chamber, where all 51 Councillors debate and confirm Council policy.
Externally, the Mayor is the figurehead of our town and of the people of Southend. This involves promoting charities and voluntary organisations, the business community and education. The Mayor opens events and makes presentations, attends functions as your representative, hosts events organised by the Council and receives high profile visitors to the town. In so doing, the Mayor represents and promotes Southend to a wide audience.
The Mayor is invited to attend around 450 engagements during their year in office. For example:
- Presiding over citizenship ceremonies
- Many charity events held at Porters, our Civic house, or other sites in town
- Walking buses
- Opening new businesses
- Seeing many of the Amateur Dramatic productions
- Opening the high street's themed markets
- Visiting the university, college, schools etc
- Formal visits to most of the other authorities in Essex
On the occasion when the Mayor is unable to attend an engagement due to previous commitments, the Deputy Mayor will attend on behalf of the Mayor.
If you have any questions or require any further information, please contact the Mayor's Office using the contact details below.
Mayor's Officer & Macebearer - Mr Adam Tregoning JP:
01702 215141 (Direct) / 07930 222102 (Mobile)