WARRINGTON’S new mayor Peter Carey is believed to have created history by becoming the first person to work their way up the ladder from being a junior clerk to senior director at the town hall and then going on to become the town’s “first citizen.”
During his mayoral year Cllr Carey, who represents Fairfield and Howley, will celebrate 50 years of involvement at the corridors of power, starting off as a junior clerk in the old borough treasury department, working his way up the ladder to the role of finance director in 1988.
In proposing Cllr Carey as mayor, Cllr Mike Hannon, deputy leader of the council and himself a former mayor, said:”I suspect we are seeing some kind of record being created today.
“I have asked around and can’t find any examples of someone who has worked their way up to a senior officer level and then gone on to become mayor of Warrington.
“I believe this a unique occasion and probably a first for local government.”
Cllr Hannon recalled how Cllr Carey had started as junior clerk cycling around Warrington and had now progressed through the ranks from “Bike Clip 1 to Ed1,” the registration on the Mayoral car.
To mark the occasion he presented the mayor with a special borough shield with a pair of bicycle clips!
Cllr Carey is the 130th Mayor of Warrington after being sworn in at the council’s annual meeting held at the town hall.
He was an Executive Board Member responsible for Corporate Resources prior to his appointment as deputy mayor.
He is a former Board Director of Warrington Wolves and became Honorary Vice President of the Club in 2003. He has also been a Trustee of The Boteler Trust for the past 15 years and is Secretary of the Labour Group on the Borough Council.
The mayor’s charities for this year are Multiple Sclerosis (Warrington) and Playability.
Cllr Carey said: “I am looking forward to my mayoral year, representing the people of Warrington and getting out in the community to meet people who carry out such valuable work in our community.”
Tributes were also paid to retiring mayor Cllr Steve Wright and his mayoress wife Julie on their “excellent year in office.”
Cllr Ted Finnegan is this year’s Deputy Mayor – for the second time after losing his seat at Latchford West during his year of office, before being re-elected at the last elections to represent Grappenhall and Thelwall.
Mayor’s Chaplin for the year is borough minister Rev Stephen Kingsnorth.
Pictures show the official Mayor making party and Cllr Hannon presenting the mayor with his special gift.
