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08/06/2012
Ballymena Council Elects First Nationalist Mayor
The first-ever nationalist mayor of Ballymena has said he is "humbled" by his victory.
PJ McAvoy of the SDLP said his unanimous election would send out a message that people should work together.
Mr McAvoy has a 27-year history as a councillor and has served as deputy mayor four times.
He said: "This tonight is the big bonus. The DUP is 50% of this council, but yet they saw fit to give me this honour, so that in itself says a lot."
Mr McAvoy said he hoped to improve conditions for traders, people in deprived areas and the town’s growing ethnic minority population during his term in office but would represent "every citizen of the borough" to grow Ballymena's business and tourism.
The new mayor told the Ballymoney and Moyle Times he wanted to be "inclusive, progressive, putting aside the divisions of the past and looking to the future."
He said the "milsetone" was: "a mark of how far we have come these last few years."
His DUP deputy mayor Beth Adger, who became the first woman to hold the position when voting results were announced last night, said the decision showed the County Antrim town was "moving forward".
In another first from yesterday's mayoral elections, Errol Thompson of the DUP has become the first-ever member of the party to wear the mayor’s chain of office in Omagh District Council.
(NE)
PJ McAvoy of the SDLP said his unanimous election would send out a message that people should work together.
Mr McAvoy has a 27-year history as a councillor and has served as deputy mayor four times.
He said: "This tonight is the big bonus. The DUP is 50% of this council, but yet they saw fit to give me this honour, so that in itself says a lot."
Mr McAvoy said he hoped to improve conditions for traders, people in deprived areas and the town’s growing ethnic minority population during his term in office but would represent "every citizen of the borough" to grow Ballymena's business and tourism.
The new mayor told the Ballymoney and Moyle Times he wanted to be "inclusive, progressive, putting aside the divisions of the past and looking to the future."
He said the "milsetone" was: "a mark of how far we have come these last few years."
His DUP deputy mayor Beth Adger, who became the first woman to hold the position when voting results were announced last night, said the decision showed the County Antrim town was "moving forward".
In another first from yesterday's mayoral elections, Errol Thompson of the DUP has become the first-ever member of the party to wear the mayor’s chain of office in Omagh District Council.
(NE)
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