The new team running York has been unveiled.
At a full council meeting this morning (Thursday), Claire Douglas was confirmed as leader, after she led Labour to victory in the council election earlier this month.
As well as being leader, Cllr Douglas will lead on policy, strategy and partnerships, including devolution.
Cllr Pete Kilbane will serve as Cllr Douglas’s deputy and will take on executive portfolio responsibilities for transport and the economy.
The new council executive is reduced by two portfolios to seven, cutting the public cost by around £35,000 a year. Five executive members are women – including City of York Council’s first female council leader – and three are men.
One of the portfolios will be a job share, another first.
The new executive members in addition to Councillor Douglas and Councillor Kilbane, are:
- Councillor Katie Lomas – finance, performance, major projects and equalities
- Councillor Michael Pavlovic – housing, planning and safer communities
- Councillor Bob Webb – children, young people and education
- Councillor Jo Coles – health, wellbeing and adult social care
- Councillors Jenny Kent and Kate Ravilious (job-share), with responsibilities for environment and climate emergency.
Cllr Douglas said: “I am proud and honoured to have been elected as the first woman to lead City of York Council, and to lead such a talented and committed executive team, with at least equal representation for women on my executive.
“We have been clear with the people of York about our priorities and will now be developing a plan with council officers to ensure we deliver them.
“My executive is committed to making improvements in all areas of the council’s responsibilities and to working alongside council staff, the public and the council’s partners to achieve this.
“Our early priorities are to ensure full access for all to the city centre, getting started on delivering free school meals for primary schools and beginning to tackle the shortfall of affordable housing in the city.
“There is some hard work ahead, but I am confident that York has the right political leadership, and will, to meet the challenges in front of us.”
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