The details

On 11 December 2014 the Mayoralty Committee considered the following motion from Councillor T Martin:

“To acknowledge past Mayoresses and Consorts in the same way as past Mayors (i.e. with engraved badges). This acknowledges the phenomenal hard work, often unseen, that Mayoresses and Consorts make to the office of Mayor which should be rewarded.”

The Mayoralty recommended to Full Council that engraved badges should be awarded to former Mayoresses and Consorts but agreed that the detail of this recommendation should be framed by the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman of the Mayoralty Committee, once design and costs had been explored.

It is recommended that sufficient Past Mayoress and Consort badges for all such individuals still living be ordered from the current supplier of the Past Mayor badges (that supplier having given the lower of two quotes obtained by the Town Clerk) at a cost of £3,500 (including the cost of engraving each badge); and that the cost be met from the New Initiatives Fund. This would provide enough badges for the next 3-6 years (depending on the gender distribution of future Mayoresses/Consorts) and future re-orders of 10 badges at a time (at current prices £700) would be met in the relevant year from the Civic Regalia budget.

The artwork for the badges is attached for the information of Members who are asked to note that the badges are slightly smaller than the Past Mayor badge.

The Objection

Whilst I think we all agree our Mayors and their wives & consorts are hardworking, as they are required to be in attendance at various parties, private openings etc, we would also like to point out that as an act of public service they probably did not enter into the position requiring a badge of recognition.

Although we agree recognition would be nice, the signatures on this petition recommend a £50.00 plaque recognizing past Mayors wives and consorts as a more suitable budget. This would leave $3450.00 that could be used to fund - for example - 100 food parcels for OAP's in the community that are just surviving on their pension, 10 new park benches for the community, entertainment for OAP's living in care home or assisted living or any other multitude of other worthy projects.

Further

We the undersigned request that Godalming Town Council make public the expenditure details related to the Civic Regalia budget for Godalming and its past 12 months expenditure.