ANDOVER has its first mayor in four decades following a controversial decision at a town council meeting last Thursday.

At Andover Town Council’s annual general meeting on May 11, Councillor Katherine Bird was elected as chairman for a second year and on accepting the role announced that she will now be known as the town’s mayor – without formally consulting the other councillors.

Thanking the table for re-election Cllr Bird said: “Thank you very much and thank you to the council for all the support as chair.”

She continued: “There is something I would like to say, as you all know I am passionate about this town and I do believe that we should raise the profile of the town council.”

Explaining her reasons for the decision, Cllr Bird told councillors that she had discovered in the Society of Local Council Clerk’s guide that the local council chairman is known and referred to as the town mayor.

She added: “I do think we should adopt that so I hope that you will support me on this and that it will be a way forward. Andover Town Council has a new mayor.

“I hope to spend the next year raising the profile of the town and town council.”

In a statement following the meeting, Cllr Bird said: “Andover deserves to be recognised, it is a wonderful town which too often gets overlooked.

"Andover Town Council is too often overlooked as there is a general lack of understanding that the chairman of a town council is the same thing as a town mayor.

“Over the last year I have become aware of the number of strategic meetings that Andover was simply excluded from as only mayors were invited.

"I want Andover to have a seat at those tables, and using the title of town mayor is one way of making that happen.”

Former vice chair of the town council, Cllr Len Gates, was also proposed for the position but was pipped to the post by Cllr Bird with 11 votes to five and one abstention.

Cllr Bird’s decision to be known as mayor was not without opposition as the decision had not been agreed by all the councillors.

Accepting election as vice chairman, Cllr Barbara Long said: “I don’t want to be referred to as deputy mayor.

“I am honoured that so many people have chosen me as vice chair. I want to be known as vice chair.”

Cllr Gates said: “Can I congratulate Barbara Long in her election. I don’t think it is appropriate to call herself deputy mayor.”

Addressing Cllr Bird, he added: “I think it is a wrong decision to call yourself mayor.”

The Advertiser understands that the move is legal but speaking after the meeting Cllr Gates told this paper that it was the way in which the decision was made which was wrong.

He said: “There are arguments both for and against whether there should be a town mayor and any decision should made after consideration and debate by the council.

"I think most councillors didn’t know it was going to happen and I think it was wrong to make that decision without consulting all 19 councillors.”

The move received both criticism and support on social media but questions were raised as to how much it will cost the town’s taxpayers.

Addressing those concerns, Cllr Bird said: “I am an unpaid volunteer, so this will cost residents nothing.”

In the town council’s 2016/17 budget, £1,650 was set aside for chairman’s regalia.

Andover last had a mayor in the mid-70s before Andover Borough Council was superseded by TVBC.