ILMINSTER NEWS: Mayor resigns and quits council to enjoy married life

ILMINSTER Town Council said goodbye to outgoing Mayor, Rose Neave, tonight (Tuesday, May 17, 2016) as she resigned from the council in order to spend more time with her husband.

Ms Neave, who had served on the council for two years and as Mayor from 2015-16, opened tonight’s annual council meeting by reading out her letter of resignation from the authority which would come into place with immediate effect.

“I hope that you realise that this was not an easy decision, but was wholly a decision that I have come to due to my personal circumstances,” she said.

“I never set out with any intention of being a big fish in a small pond. I’ve been on the council to do what I volunteered to do, quietly and efficiently, and get on with my job. Some people have seen that, some people have not.”

Ms Neave added: “Whilst away on honeymoon, it became abundantly clear that I have not actually had chance to enjoy married life. I was elected onto the council not long after getting engaged.

“As much as I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges and doing something for the community, I now feel that I need to concentrate my time on building a home, developing my business, and – to be perfectly honest – I would like to spend some time with my husband.”

PHOTO - TOP: Rose Neave during her term as Ilminster Mayor.

Ms Neave concluded: “I will, of course, still endeavour to have my voice heard in the coming months and am absolutely certain that in the future I will stand for council again when the time is right.

“It is worth noting here that I have had my ups and downs, particularly as Mayor, over the last year. I feel that there are those that do not make it any easy task to be a councillor, and some perhaps who need to consider others’ positions more graciously – you can never really understand someone else’s point of view unless you have walked in their shoes – but I believe that is our job as councillors to try. This council should consider that in the future.

“All that is left for me to say is – thank you, good luck and goodbye.”

Cllr Val Keitch was later elected as the new Mayor of Ilminster with Cllr Tony Walker continuing as Deputy Mayor.

It was also announced tonight that a former Mayor of Ilminster, Cllr Carol Goodall, had also resigned from the town council. This follows Sophie Storey's decision to stand down from the council last week.

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