The mayor of Wrexham is the civic figurehead and first citizen of the city of Wrexham, and Wrexham County Borough in the north of Wales. The position is elected by members of Wrexham County Borough Council at their annual meeting, and today, holders of the position mainly serve a one-year term. The position is currently held by Councillor Andy Williams of Garden Village, who previously served the role in 2018–2019.
Before the establishment of the position in 1857, the then town of Wrexham was largely administered by the manorial courts of the gentry and parish Vestry. [1] The manorial courts became overwhelmed with the increasing local government responsibilities placed on them, with the Vestry increasingly adding secular matters to their originally religious operations to compensate the manorial courts. [1]
By 1848, concerns over the system of various local government in managing the growing town's sanitary conditions, in particular the public health threat of cholera, [1] [2] [3] led to locals launching a petition to the Privy Council in February 1857 for the town to be incorporated. [1] On 23 September 1857, the town was granted a Charter of Incorporation, [2] [4] spanning the two townships of the town, Wrexham Abbot and Wrexham Regis, [3] as well as part of Esclusham Below. This charter lead to the forming of the borough of Wrexham, with a borough council (a corporation) and a position of mayor under the terms of the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. [5] [6] [7] [8] The position of mayor of the borough of Wrexham was first occupied by Thomas Edgworth. [1] In 1974, the post of Mayor of Wrexham Borough Council, was superseded by Mayor of Wrexham Maelor Borough Council within Clwyd. [9] [10] Clwyd itself was abolished in 1996, following the enactment of the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, [11] with the position transferred to the newly established Wrexham County Borough Council, the council of the newly formed Wrexham County Borough. [8] [11]
The mayor wears the "Mayor's Chain", dating to 1872. There are equivalent chains for the Mayoress, Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayoress. A Ceremonial mace is carried in front of the mayor in civic proceedings, and dates back to 1866. [12]
Wrexham became a city in September 2022. [13]
The Mayor of Wrexham, as well as the Deputy Mayor of Wrexham, is elected by members of Wrexham County Borough Council at their annual meeting. Presently, the position is usually held for one year for the appointed councillor, although past mayors have held the post for more than two years. [1]
The mayor is the First Citizen of Wrexham County Borough and a figurehead for the council. Their position is to represent the entire county borough, acting as a link between the council and citizens, and symbolically represent continuity, an open society (by elected irrespective of class, gender, or ethnicity), and a figure in times of crisis, tragedy or triumph. [14]
Administratively, the mayor presides over council meetings and at civic functions, and acts as a tiebreaker in the event of equal votes in the council. They have precedence at any function within the county borough, including over government ministers, MPs and MSs, but except in the presence of the Monarch, British royal family, or the Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd. [14] [15]
During their one-year term, the mayor is expected to contribute to five formal civic events through the year. The five events being; the council's annual meeting, civic visit to Church, Royal Welch Fusiliers Reunion Weekend, a charity ball, and the annual remembrance service. [14] Outside these more formal events, the mayor is expected to be attending 400 other engagements. [1]
Each mayor nominates a charity or charities to receive funds that have been fundraised during their term. The mayor may also request donations to other causes. [14]
The Wrexham County Borough Coat of arms is inherited from Wrexham Maelor, which is itself derived from the two authorities preceding Wrexham Maelor, the borough of Wrexham and Wrexham Rural District. [14]
The current mayor for the 2023/2024 term is Councillor Andy Williams of Garden Village since 23 May 2023 who previously served the role between 2018 and 2019. [14] [16] [17] Previous deputy mayors are usually promoted to mayor the following year by convention in Wrexham, [18] [19] however the 2022/2023 deputy mayor was suspended and withdrew their candidacy the serve as mayor for the following term. [20] [21]
A list of the mayors of Wrexham County Borough Council and its predecessor councils is present on the council's website. [22]
Wrexham is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the county of Denbighshire, and later the county of Clwyd in 1974, it has been the principal settlement of Wrexham County Borough since 1996.
Flintshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders England to the east, Denbighshire to the west and Wrexham County Borough to the south. It is named after the historic county of the same name which has notably different borders. Flintshire is considered part of the Welsh Marches and formed part of the historic Earldom of Chester and Flint. The county is governed by Flintshire County Council which has its main offices in County Hall, Mold.
Flintshire, also known as the County of Flint, is one of Wales' thirteen historic counties, and a former administrative county. It mostly lies on the north-east coast of Wales.
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales. It is a maritime county, bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Flintshire, Cheshire and Shropshire, to the south by Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfonshire.
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire to the east and Shropshire to the south-east. Powys and Gwynedd lie to the south and west respectively. Clwyd also shares a maritime boundary with Merseyside along the River Dee. Between 1974 and 1996, a slightly different area had a county council, with local government functions shared with six district councils. In 1996, Clwyd was abolished, and the new principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough were created; under this reorganisation, "Clwyd" became a preserved county, with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions.
English Maelor comprises one half of the Maelor region on the Welsh side of the Wales-England border, being the area of the Maelor east of the River Dee. The region has changed counties several times, previously being part of Cheshire and later a detached portion of Flintshire. The area is currently in Wales, despite its name, and administered as part of Wrexham County Borough.
Wrexham County Borough is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders England to the east and south-east, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the north-west. The county borough has a population of 136,055. The city of Wrexham is its largest settlement, which together with villages such as Gwersyllt, New Broughton, Bradley and Rhostyllen form a built-up area with 65,692 residents. Villages in the county borough also include Holt, Ruabon, Rhosllanerchrugog, Johnstown, Acrefair, Bangor-on-Dee, and Coedpoeth amongst others. The county borough has one other outlying town, Chirk, to its south, and various rural settlements in the county borough's large salient in the Ceiriog Valley, and the English Maelor.
Alyn and Deeside was one of six local government districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales from 1974 to 1996. There is still a parliamentary constituency of the same name.
Wrexham Maelor was a local government district with borough status, being one of six districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales, from 1974 to 1996.
Flintshire County Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Flintshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. It is based at County Hall in Mold.
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is the local authority for the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, one of the 22 principal areas of Wales. The council was controlled by the Labour Party from its creation in 1996 until 2022, when Plaid Cymru and a group of independent councillors agreed to share power.
Denbighshire County Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Denbighshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council is based at County Hall in Ruthin.
Wrexham County Borough Council is the governing body for Wrexham County Borough, a principal area in north Wales, covering Wrexham and the surrounding area.
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council is the governing body for Blaenau Gwent, one of the Principal Areas of Wales.
In Wales, the office of Mayor or Lord Mayor had long been ceremonial posts, with little or no duties attached to it. Traditionally mayors have been elected by town, borough and city councils. Since 2000, councils can decide to have directly elected mayors with extensive powers if such a proposal is approved in a local referendum.
Wrexham Archives and Local Studies holds the archives for the city of Wrexham. The archives are held at County Buildings, on Regent Street, Wrexham, and run by Wrexham County Borough Council as part of its Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service. The centre was initially named after local Wrexham historian Alfred Neobard Palmer. The building is shared with Wrexham County Borough Museum and the archives opened in 2002.
The 2022 Wrexham County Borough Council election took place on 5 May 2022 to elect 56 members to Wrexham County Borough Council, the principal council of Wrexham County Borough, Wales. On the same day, elections were held to the other 21 local authorities, and community councils in Wales as part of the 2022 Welsh local elections. The previous Wrexham County Borough all-council election took place in May 2017 and future elections will take place every five years, with the next scheduled for 2027.
The Wrexham Guildhall is a municipal building in Wrexham, Wales. Located in Wrexham city centre and alongside Llwyn Isaf, it serves as the headquarters of Wrexham County Borough Council since 1996 and its predecessor Wrexham Maelor borough council, therefore it acts as the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough.
