NEW COUNCIL'S INITIAL MEETING

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 95, 13 November 1953, Page 5

NEW COUNCIL'S INITIAL MEETING

CR.

J. D.

SWAN

ELECTED DEPUTY-MAY OR

On Tuesday evening, November 9th, Mr J. E. Story, wlio was returned unopposed in the recent mayoral election, was duly installed as first Mayor of the Borough of Taupo by the Town Clerk and Returning Officer, Mr S. Torepe. The recently elected Councillors were also installed. The historic and dignified ceremony was witnessed by a number of citizens, including the Mayoress, Mrs Story, wives of the councillors, and Mr M. Milton, assistant Town Clerk. Among others present was a member of the first Taupo Road Board, Mr G. P. Reid and Mrs Reid. Another link with that Board was the fact that the Mayoress is a daughter of another foundation member, the late Mr Joseph Rickit.

At seven thirty p.m. the newly elected councillors took their seats at the council table, the spectators being seated round the council room, with the Mayoress seated in a chair to the right of the raised Mayoral chair. The Town Clerk fhen addressed the meeting, first reading a report of the result of the mayoral and council elections, going on to refer to the importance of the occasion in the history of the Borough of Taupo, and advising that the law required that before entering upon the duties of his office the Mayorelect should make and sign in the presence of the Council a formal declaration in the form prescribed by law. Mr Story then repeated after the Town Clerk the required declaration that he would faithfully and impartially, according to the best of his skill and judgment, execute the powers and authorities vested in him as Mayor of the Borough of Taupo by virtue of the Municipal Corporations Act.

Addressing Mr Story, the Town Clerk then . stated that it was his privilege, cn behalf of the Council, to invest him with the mayoral chain as an indication of the commencement of his term of office. After a reference to the ancient and honourable history of the office of Mayor, and the fact that it was the highest honour that a borough or city could confer upon any citizen, the Clerk proceeded to say that the citizens, in return for the confidence they had reposed in the Mayor-elect, expected him to give faithful service to all sections of the community, and to bring to his civic duties ability, dignity and courtesy, and to discharge those duties without fear or favour, affection or ill-will. The Clerk then invested Mr Story with the mayoral chain, which he had earlier referred to as being a token one to be replaced with a permanent one at a later date, and taking him by the hand installed him in the raised Mayor-

al chair amid the acclamation of the councillors and citizens. The Mayor then proceeded to administer to the councillors in turn the statutory declaration required of them before assuming their duties, following which Councillor K. O. Lewis rose and addressed His Worship, offering him on behalf of the councillors their support and co-operation, informing him of their willingness to work together with him for the advancement of Taupo and the welfare of its citizens, and wishing him and the Mayoress a very happy and successful term of office (applause). His Worship then expressed his consciousness of the sentiment and' ideals expressed by the installing Town Clerk, and of the honour, as well as responsibilities and dignity of the mayoral office, which he would endeavour to uphold anc diseharge. He gladly accepted the

councillors offer of co-ope|:ation, fully realising he could do nothing without their assistance. He was sure that if they pulled together j as a team they would accomplish much, and by the end of their term of office they would have set up a record of which neither they nor their predecessors in offic» would have any cause to be ashamed. Mr Story concluded by referring to the past Town Board and its services, the services of the Council's staff, and the efficient manner in w7hich the press had reported the proceedings of the Town Board and Council. His Worship then asked councillors and citizens to stand and ©pened the first meeting of the Council by reading the following prayer: — "Almighty God, Creator of all things, Judge of all men, we Thine unworthy servants do most humbly beseech thee to grant that, having Thy fear always before our eyes;

and laying aside all private interests, prejudices and partial acections, the result of all our counsels may be to the Glory of Thy Name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honour of our Queen, the advancement of this Borough and the preservation of the Public Weal, Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen." His Worship said that the Council's first duty was to proceed to the election of a Deputy-Mayor, and mentioned that in the past it had been the privilege of the Mayor to nominate a councillor for this position. Considerations affecting such nomination were the fact that the Mayor should have a Deputy in whom he could place his confidence, while the votes secured by a nominee also had a bearing. He had pleasure in nominating Councillor J. D. Swan for the position. Cr. K. E. Young seconded the nomination, which was put to the meet ing and carried with acclamation.

The Town Clerk then advised the meeting that the amount to be fixed as the Mayor's honorarium was to be decided upon, the maximum fixed by statute being £500 per annum. The Deputy-Mayor stated that there would be more than the usual expenses associated with Mayoral duties during the current year,,and that he was firmly of the opinion that the Mayor should not be allowed to be out of pocket as a result of his Mayoral duties. He considered that the honorarium for the year should be fixed at £450 andmoved accordingly, the motion being carried. Committees of the Council were then set up as follows:— Works, Town Planning and Reserves, The Mayor, Deputy-Mayor, Councillors Young, Vedder, Currie; Electricity the Mayor, Crs. Young (Deputychairman of Committee, Lewis Vedder, Morris; Finance, The Mayor, Deputy-Mayor, Young, Barton;

Library and Cemetery, Crs. Morris (Chairman), Stanley, Barton. Discussing the fixing of the Council's regular meetings, His I Worship suggested that a monthly meeting be held as in the past on the third Wednesday. He felt that once the Committees became^familiar with their work the time taken by Council meetings could be cut down considerably, and that as a regular thing the monthly meeting would be found sufficient. Cr. Young agreed that with much detail work being done by the Committees general meetings could be shortened. The Mayor's suggestion was then put as a motion and carried. Formal motions with regard to the Council's Bank account and the title of its accounts, as necessitated by the change to Borough status and the election of the new

Council, were then passed. The J Mayor then declared the meeting closed, and invited councillors and j citizens to supper in the Library as the guests of the Mayoress and : himself. * The supper, which had been arranged; by the Mayoress, did full justice to the occasion, and general congratulations to the Mayor, Mayoress, and the new Councillors were the order of the evening. Among those present, not mentioned above, who had been connected with the Taupo Road Board the first local governing authority in the Taupo Country, were Mr K. Rameka, a former staff foreman, and Mrs Rameka, formerly of the office staff and now on the Council office staff; Mr Tony Tierney, who has had seventeen years service I with the Council and. its predecessors, and Mrs Tierney; Mr R. H. Ward, first clerk to the Road Board and later its Chairman for a term, and Mrs Ward.