New First Citizen of Tipperary is a proud Burgess man
Tipperary’s longest serving county councillor John Carroll has become the county’s First Citizen after assuming the role of Cathaoirleach of the county council.
Cllr Carroll, described as “a proud Burgess man” by some of his fellow councillors, will be the local representative who will lead the local authority over the next 12 months.
The Fianna Fail man, who is known as ‘The Father of the House’ for his decades of service as a local representative, has succeeded one of the local authority’s youngest members, Fine Gael’s Declan Burgess (30), who has been praised for the manner in which he carried out his role at the helm over the past year.
Cllr Carroll became Cathaoirleach after he was proposed and seconded for the top job by his Fianna Fáil colleagues, Cllrs Michael Smith and Sean Ryan at the council’s Annual Meeting in Halla Na Féile in Cashel on Friday last.
Cllr Carroll, who first became a councillor in 1999, was praised for the huge experience of the workings of local government that he as amassed over the past quarter of a century.
With such credentials, he has been described as the right person to now assume the role of First Citizen of the county.
GREAT HONOUR
Cllr Smith said it was his “great honour” to propose Cllr Carroll for the position, describing the Burgess native as “a rural champion” for his role in the LEADER group in the county and as person who was capable of “leading from the front”.
Seconding his nomination, Cllr Ryan said the way Cllr Carroll worked as a councillor had always been a great influence on him personally.
“You are always generous with your time and you are heavily involved in your community,” he told Cllr Carroll. “I think you are someone who is well equipped to deal with the role of Cathaoirleach.”
Cllr Carroll has plenty of previous experience in a lead role.
Two decades ago he was elected Chairman of the now abolished North Tipperary County Council.
He is also a former Cathaoirleach of the Nenagh Municipal District, and he chaired the Tipperary LEADER group that has been responsible for investment of tens of millions of euro in rural development throughout the county.
Among the attendance present to witness the auspicious occasion in Cashel were members of Cllr Carroll’s family, some of whom were by his side for all his local election contests since he entered politics 40 years ago.
He lost the first two local elections he contested in the Borrisokane Area, but won a seat on the old North Tipperary County Council in 1999 and has been elected in every local election since then.
Cllr Carroll secured the top position without having to face a contest.
His promotion was assured due to a political pact between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour Party councillors who have a voting majority on the council of 40 members.
He said it was a great honour to become First Citizen of the county and to represent his own “proud parish” of Burgess and the people of Tipperary in general.
AMBITIONS FOR THE YEAR
Setting out his ambitions for the year ahead in a wide-ranging address, Cllr Carroll said that among his priorities would be tackling the housing crisis in the county and securing more funding from central government to improve the road network.
Other priorities include upgrading waste water treatment plants in towns and villages, greater support for the food and farming sector, tackling water quality and promoting renewable energy.
Cllr Roger Kennedy (FF) noted that the aspirations set out by Cllr Carroll were vast. “If you achieve even half of what you have set out you will be doing very well,” Cllr Kennedy told him.
Labour’s Cllr Fiona Bonfield said Cllr Carroll was very dedicated, fair and experienced. “I think that is going to stand to us as a council in the year ahead.”
Cllr David Dunne of Sinn Féin said he looked forward to working with Cllr Carroll on the rollout of modular housing in the country to tackle the housing crisis.
Council CEO Sinead Carr told Cllr Carroll that the council staff would do everything they could to help him achieve his aspirations.
Cllr Mark Fitzgerald of Fine Gael, a native of Carrick-On-Suir, was elected as Leas Cathaoirleach for the coming year. After the formalities, the council members and officials sat down to a meal to celebrate the occasion.