At the Annual Council Meeting held at the Town Hall, Swanage, on Monday evening, Councillor Mike Bonfield was honoured to be elected and to accept the appointment of Town Mayor for the coming year. This will be Cllr Bonfield’s fifth term as Mayor, having previously served four terms between 2017 and 2021.
Cllr Bonfield gave heartfelt thanks to Cllr Tina Foster, outgoing Town Mayor, and her consort Les, for their unwavering dedication to the town over the past three years. He also expressed his appreciation to Cllr Chris Moreton, outgoing Deputy Town Mayor, and his wife Liz, Deputy Mayoress, for their invaluable contributions to the Town Council and the community. Cllr Bonfield said:
‘This past year has been challenging, we welcomed six new councillors, and I recognise the steep learning curve they faced. I appreciate the time and effort all councillors have devoted to getting up to speed with council matters. I want to reiterate that once elected, we are all Swanage Town Councillors, united in our commitment to serve our community.’
‘Looking ahead, we have exciting and challenging projects in the pipeline, including the multi-function centre at the football club, essential stabilisation works, and the flood alleviation scheme. I urge everyone to participate in the consultations designed to gather public input, as your views are vital in guiding the council’s decisions.’
Cllr Bonfield also paid tribute to his wife, Audrey, and his family, for their continued support and understanding, and was pleased to announce that Audrey would again be supporting him in the role of Mayoress during his term of office.
Councillor Chris Tomes was delighted to accept the appointment of Deputy Town Mayor and said:
‘I am honoured to accept the appointment of Deputy Town Mayor of this wonderful town. I would like to thank my wife, my son, and my family for always standing by me through this ‘adventure’ .’
‘I would also like to thank Cllr Moreton and his wife Liz for their hard work over the last three years, and for their friendship and guidance.’
Cllr Tomes’ wife, Cam, will support him in the role of Deputy Mayoress during his term of office.
Councillors are looking forward to another busy and productive year ahead.
Thank you.