Municipal districts to elect chairs this week

Seamus Enright

The Municipal Districts for each of the three electoral areas, brought about by local government reforms, will sit and meet later this week, Friday June 13, when a chairperson for each will be appointed from the locally elected councillors.
The first meeting of the Municipal Districts of Ballyjamesduff, Bailieborough-Cootehill and Cavan-Belturbet will take place in quick succession at the County Council Chamber in the Courthouse, Cavan, with 15-minute sessions allocated to each to allow for the appointment of a Cathaoirleach and Leas Cathaoirleach.
These first short sessions are intended merely to fix the dates, times and potentially the locations for the respective Municipal District meetings.
President of the Association of County and City Councils (ACCC) and Fine Gael councillor Peter McVitty who serves in the Cavan-Belturbet district, says he hopes the location of the meetings will rotate to towns in the areas they serve.

Locations

For example, taking the Cavan-Belturbet area into account, he mentioned the newly-refurbished Town Hall, the Courthouse in Ballyconnell and Dowra and Market House in Blacklion as possible and suitable locations for meetings of such stature.
“It would be a good thing to bring these meetings to these areas to show how the Council operates and how these new Districts will work,” Cllr McVitty said.

The remaining members of the district authorities, to be made up of members of the local business, community and voluntary sectors have not yet been decided upon.

The 2014 reform Bill also allows for the creation of the post of Chief Executive Office, spelling an end for the role of county manager. This person is to be elected to the position with the approval of councillors on a seven-year term and following the retirement of Jack Keyes, Director of Services Ger Finn has carried on in the role of Acting County Manager.