To pass a vote of thanks to The Mayor in the following terms:
(a) the Council tender their grateful thanks to The Worshipful, The Mayor,
Councillor Toni Letts, for the courteous and efficient manner in which she presided over the Council's deliberations during the past year;
(b) the Council record their sincere appreciation of the dignified manner in
which Councillor Toni Letts OBE has carried out the traditional duties of the office of Mayor, of the support and encouragement which she and her Mayoress, Mrs Beverley Binstead have given to the local organisations and of the prominent part which they have taken in the social life of the Borough during the Mayor's period of office; and
(c) that this resolution be engrossed and sealed and presented to the Mayor at the Annual Council Meeting in a suitable form.
Minutes:
The Mayor invited the Deputy Mayor to chair the item. The Deputy Mayor then invited the Mayor to deliver her farewell address.
The Mayor welcomed everyone present in the Council Chamber, including the newly elected Councillors and the returning Councillors. She explained that it was an exceptional honour and humbling to be the Mayor for a second time.
The Mayor noted that in her time as being Mayor she was able to witness the ongoing work within the voluntary sector and charities and the transition within the London Borough of Croydon through its ongoing regeneration. She noted that it was an honour to represent the Borough.
The Mayor explained that her most challenging time within the Mayoralty year had been attending the ceremonies for the tram incident victims’ memorials and having the opportunity to remember and celebrate their lives.
The Mayor noted that the election of the first Young Mayor of Croydon had been extremely positive. The local schools had worked hard and the 28 candidates were vibrant and eager to learn about local democracy. She extended her congratulations to William Awomoyi who had been elected after receiving approximately 12,000 votes.
The Mayor thanked the local schools that had extraordinary teaching staff and the local organisations and clubs set up to educate the young children of the Borough. There had also been culture events organised to engage young people, which particularly focused on music. She noted that the young people of the Borough should be honoured and it would be positive to encourage more apprenticeships and business opportunities within the Borough.
The Mayor noted that it had been a pleasure to meet the Ambassadors and City Mayors of Budapest, Chile, China, Holland and Italy to discuss the opportunities for more businesses to be set up in Croydon.
The opening of Krepes & Kones restaurant with the music duo Krept and Konan, local musicians, was positive as it was their first business venture and was proving to be very popular.
The Mayor extended her thank you to the Deputy Mayor Mike Selva and the Deputy Mayoress for being kind and supportive throughout her mayoralty year. She also thanked her daughter, the Mayoress, the consorts, Mayoralty team, mace bearers, the former mayoral secretary, her friends and family and all the colleagues and officers working for Croydon Council. She noted that it was Lea Goddard’s, Head of Elections and Civic Services, last Council meeting and thanked him for his hard work at Croydon Council over the past 19 years and wished him well in his retirement.
The Leader, moving the vote of thanks, highlighted the amazing contribution the Mayor had made and had been committed and compassionate about the role for the Mayoralty year. The Mayor was thanked for supporting the young people in the Borough and it was noted that she had helped provide opportunities for them. The Mayor was a good orator and had been an inspiration, especially for the next generation who would do Croydon proud. The Leader noted that she had been dedicated to public services in Croydon for 40 years and thanked her for her hard work.
Councillor Pollard, seconding the motion, stated that not many Councillors had the honour of being the Mayor twice and that she had deserved it. He noted that he had attended many events with the Mayor and she had always approached these with great warmth and humanity. He thanked her for chairing the Council meetings and conducting the business effectively. Councillor Pollard thanked her for all her hard work and stated it was a pleasure to second the motion.
The Deputy Mayor put the motion to the vote.
RESOLVED –
(i). the Council tendered its grateful thanks to The Worshipful, The Mayor, Councillor Toni Letts, for the courteous and efficient manner in which she had presided over the Council's deliberations during the past year;
(ii). the Council recorded its sincere appreciation of the dignified manner in which Councillor Toni Letts OBE had carried out the traditional duties of the office of Mayor, of the support and encouragement which she and her Mayoress, Mrs Beverley Binstead had given to local organisations and of the prominent part which they had taken in the social life of the Borough during the Mayor's period of office; and
(iii). That this Council resolution was engrossed and sealed and presented to the Mayor at the Annual Council Meeting in a suitable form.