Councillor Anthony Rowlands has been elected the new Mayor of the City and District of St Albans – and has chosen All Ages Together as the theme of his civic year.

He was made Mayor for 2023/24 at the Annual Meeting of the council on Wednesday, May 24 with Councillor Josie Madoc becoming Deputy Mayor.

Mayor Rowlands, who succeeds Geoff Harrison, has been a district councillor since 1986 apart from a short break of three years. 

He will chair full council meetings and represent the city at a variety of events, often involving voluntary and charity groups. 

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Mayor Rowlands has decided to work towards improving social inclusion, accessibility and wellbeing across the district during his year in office.

Herts Advertiser: The Mayor, Cllr Anthony Rowlands

He said: “I am delighted to have been elected to this historic position and look forward to the year ahead.

“I intend to be a very active Mayor and will be going around the district to meet and talk with community groups, charities and other organisations to find out about their concerns and their ideas for drawing the generations together.

“All Ages Together will be about increasing social cohesion, helping people forge new relationships and enabling friendships. More than anything, I want to help to connect our communities in order to banish loneliness and isolation which for many have been made worse by the continuing impact of the pandemic.

“By bringing the generations together, we can create an age-friendly district to enrich all our lives.

Herts Advertiser: The Deputy Mayor, Cllr Josie Madoc

Deputy Mayor Josie Madoc's previous roles include working for St Albans Chamber of Commerce as well as some London-based companies.

She became involved in local politics in 2019 through campaigning for more school places in St Albans back after her daughter struggled to find a place. She is also a District Mental Health Champion.