New Mayor and Deputy Mayor appointed for Antrim and Newtownabbey

At the meeting, Cllr Jim Montgomery (UUP) was appointed Mayor and Cllr Noreen McClelland (SDLP) was appointed Deputy Mayor for the incoming year.

The new Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cllr Montgomery said: “I am honoured to be elected as Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey and I look forward to serving the borough over the next year.

“I would like to pay tribute to my colleagues Ald Smyth and Cllr Logue for their contribution, in particular during the last few months which have been extremely challenging.

“We are all going through unprecedented times with no real sense of the normality we knew just five months ago.

“A large part of my efforts as Mayor will be focused on the health and welfare of the ratepayers of the borough and supporting the many businesses of all sizes who are going through tough times with an uncertain future. I take up office proud to serve this great borough as Mayor.”

Congratulating Cllr Montgomery, Ulster Unionist Party Leader and MLA for South Antrim, Steve Aiken OBE, said: “Congratulations and best wishes to Jim on being nominated as the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will bring many challenges to the borough and across Northern Ireland in the coming year, but I have no doubt that Jim will be up to the job of providing the leadership required in the months ahead.

“Jim`s very close ties to the borough will ensure that he will always put the best interests of its people first. I look forward to working with him in the year ahead as Northern Ireland looks forward to its second century.”

Commenting on her appointment to the role of Deputy Mayor, Cllr McClelland said: “This is a crucial time for civic leadership and I know people have made immense sacrifices in the effort to fight Covid-19.

“I hope that I can demonstrate the compassion that our citizens have shown to each other and highlight the many things we have to be proud of.

“I am grateful to my party colleagues for placing their faith in me once again and I will do my very best to deliver for everyone across Antrim and Newtownabbey.”

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