Back on Civvies Street

In the end it only took 20 minutes to bring down the shutters on my year as Mayor. As someone who was not from the town it was a completely different experience to what I had expected. I pointed out last night that our town is a number of communities, geographic, cultural, artistic, sporting commercial and racial. Its only when you get to be Mayor that you really appreciate the interactions between these. Yes there is a lot of hardship but we’re not a place on a map in the south east corner of Ireland, we’re a community regardless of how wealthy or poor we are economically. These values remain strong and that is what makes us as a town.
The role of Mayor has changed and is now more about motivating and encouraging rather than using sole discretionary powers to shape people’s lives. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t the occasion when you intervene on your own initiative. There was. Legally the officials could well send you packing however politics means that the official should listen to you in the interest of explaining why you feel they could have made a better decision. No table thumping, No shouting, just straight talking and then a resolution. Usual stuff in most councils.
Into the future you wonder about how many discussion in a council will be about finding someone to do something as opposed to should we do something ourselves. Volunteerism, outsourcing, rationalisation, privatisation, cutting services. All options that change the nature of the debate. It pits the council and the market as providers of services as opposed to providing for community’s needs. And who is in that market space and what should the response be if one of the providers is also state owned. Where does the local authority stand in the context of Croke Park?
Being Mayor was a great experience, Key public events are the return of the victorious Wexford Camoige team, Barry Day and Opening night of the Opera, the All Ireland Drama Festival and the St Patrick’s Day parade. But it was events that were low key where you meet small numbers of people that really struck home, meeting a group from a marginalised community in Wexford who exchanged with Latvia, watching the opening of Coolcotts Community centre, speaking at the opening of an exhibition in the Arts Centre. And meeting a real hero John Giles or Vincent Brown!
So now it’s all in the past. As one Labour colleague remarked, you’re better off leaving office having regretted not saying something rather than leaving regretting something you’d said. And yes there were the monthly meeting and the chairing of the councillors and arriving at decisions… eventually in some cases. During the time I’ve tried to blog on topics that were outside of local issues within the town. On reflection that was the best course but now it’s back to civvy street. Next meeting in the chamber is Monday next and its back to the usual seat on the Labour benches, a lot has changed but a lot is still the same.

Taking the chains!

It’s a great honour and its something that is hugely important to me. Being first citizen is the highest office you can get in Wexford politics. Lets be straight up it’s the best job in Wexford politics and the oldest. The County Council is certainly better resourced and has a wider remit but being Mayor carries a historical legacy that goes right back to the 14th century.
When the Normans invaded and subsequently rolled out town governance, Mayor was an enormously powerful job in local politics. The mayor called the shots. He (and it always was a man until the 1970’s) raised taxes, militias, passed sentence, performed weddings, decided what was spent and was enormously influential.
Happily the stocks are long gone from Wexford and I cannot see the circumstances when a militia might be needed for the moment! The town sergeant precedes the Mayor at formal events bearing one of the towns 3 silver maces. They date from the 18th century and we know that because on the staff there’s a harp representing Ireland, the rose representing England and the thistle to represent Scotland. All 3 kingdoms mentioned but nothing about our nearest neighbour, the Principality of Wales!

The traditional open meeting to elect the Mayor took place in Wexford Arts Centre, the original home of Wexford Corporation. I always enjoy these meetings as a councillor because there is something hugely significant and important in electing a Mayor. Being Mayor in Wexford is a completely different proposition to being Mayor in a bigger urban area. You’re so much more accessible and recognised. You’re ex-officio a member of all committees in both the town and the district. Add to that my membership of the VEC and it makes for a busy year in terms of policy development as well.
Not to mention there’s the social side to it or as it’s been described “Eating for Wexford”! When I served as Deputy Mayor 3 years ago I got to see that side of the town’s social life. I’ve always tended to think differently of invites to social events to those who actually organise them. You’re there because of who you represent. The others can do R & R but the Mayor can’t.

But there is something hugely important in being Mayor, local authorities are often derided but without them who would step into the gap? Moreover a Labour Mayor has always a vision of so what is mine? Hanging on the wall of the Arts Centre last night was a poster that said “I see the world as it is”. How appropriate! I pointed out that if you come to terms with the past you understand the present mistakes and you can plan your future. We all have a future in this town however it is one within the context of social solidarity. We cannot make those who are worse off pay for mistakes of the past. If we are to have a future it is on the basis that we all opt in. We must talk up our town, Why is it that decentralisation to Wexford worked? We have a lot going for us here, It’s time to tell the world about Wexford.