Cllr Karen Walker has been elected as the new Chair of Bath & North East Somerset Council after receiving unanimous cross-party support to take on the role at the Annual General Meeting on Thursday 16th May.
Councillor Karen Walker has become Chair of B&NES Council for a second time
Cllr Walker makes history by being the first person in the 29 years since the council was created to hold the position twice. She previously served as Chair from 2018 to 2019.
Cllr Walker has represented the village of Peasedown St John as an Independent councillor since 2015.
She said: “I feel hugely honoured to have been re-elected to the position of Chair of Bath & North East Somerset Council. I’m very much looking forward to the year ahead.
“My theme in office is ‘Inclusion for all, living life to the full’.
“Bath and North East Somerset is a fantastic place to live, work and visit so I’m hoping to spend as much time as possible over the next 12 months highlighting much of the wonderful work our community groups and local charities do to support those in need.”
As well as chairing council meetings at the Guildhall in Bath, the Chair also represents the council in the community and leads the local authority when welcoming senior guests, such as members of the Royal Family, international dignitaries, and government ministers.
At last week’s AGM Liz Hardman, Labour councillor for the Paulton ward, was elected as Vice Chair of B&NES Council.
This story originally appeared in The Week In, our sister title.
