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The Mayor 

Role and responsibilities, chosen charities and information about the Mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan Council

 

The Mayor must be an elected member of the Council.  

 

He or she is elected into office at the Annual Meeting of the Council in May and his or her year of office runs to May of the following year.  

 

The Mayor and Mayoress wear their chains of office when they attend functions on behalf of the Council.

 

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2023/24

Councillor Julie Aviet

  • 01446 709853

 

Born in Cardiff to a Welsh mother and Singaporean father, Councillor Julie Aviet attended school at St Peters School followed by Lady Mary High School and Howardian High School in Cardiff until eventually settling in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan with her family, three children and now grandchildren.  Councillor Aviet prides herself on being the Councils Diversity Champion.  

 

She has completed a broad range of jobs throughout her working life including a telephonist, working at a department store, working at Butlins Minehead and then onto Bournemouth during the heatwave of 1976.  She then moved back to Cardiff and worked at night clubs such as “Top Rank” and in Spain and London.  Whilst in London she completed her woodwork training and then went onto Vauxhall College of Building where she received her City & Guilds in Carpentry and Joinery.  After this she gained employment as a maintenance carpenter with London Borough of Southwark.

 

Eventually returning to Cardiff to raise her three children, Councillor Aviet moved to Barry in 1999.  She enjoyed getting involved in voluntary work like tenant engagement and went onto become part of the Gibbonsdown Resident’s Board.  She is a trustee of the Gibbonsdown Children’s Centre and Governor of Oakfield and Colcot Primary Schools in Barry and always enjoys being involved in her local community.  An example of volunteering is with local litter picks with young people to help with the “Value in the Vale” project.  This project is where children can participate and earn time credits.

 

Since being elected in 2016 Councillor Aviet loves to be at the centre of her local community.

 

During her term of office, she advises that,

“I would like to help promote a sense of pride throughout the Vale of Glamorgan along with empathy for others, bringing about a more cohesive Vale to bring all communities from east to west together and unite us in our common goal which is striving to make the Vale of Glamorgan a better place to live and work.”

 

 

 

  • Is there a difference between a Mayor and a Lord Mayor?
    Cities have a Lord Mayor; Councils like the Vale of Glamorgan have a Mayor.
  • What is the difference between a Mayoress and a Consort?

    The Mayor and Deputy Mayor appoint their companions. Either a spouse, partner, son, daughter or friend is chosen. If the companions are wives they are referred to as the Mayoress or Deputy Mayoress.

     

    If husband, brother or sister is chosen they are called Consort or Deputy Consort.

  • Is the Mayor's car theirs to keep?  
    No. One car is used by the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor. The Mayor doesn’t drive the car herself but is driven by a chauffeur. The civic car can also be used by the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive.
  • How busy is the Mayor?
    The Mayor’s workload can vary from year to year depending on what’s taking place in the Vale of Glamorgan during the Mayor’s term. In recent years Mayors have regularly undertaken in excess of 550 engagements a year. “Engagements” include meetings, chairing full council, charity committee meetings, charity events, exhibition openings etc
  • How is a Mayor chosen? 
    A Mayor is always a member of the council, usually with long service, who is invited to stand by colleagues from their political party, and has usually been Deputy Mayor the previous year.


    The vote for a new Mayor is taken at the Annual General Meeting of Council, which is traditionally held in May.

     

    When there is a clear majority in the Council the candidate can expect to be elected unopposed. However, if there is a hung Council there can be more than one candidate for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor and the election result can be very close.

  • Can a Mayor be in office more than once?
    Yes, although they cannot hold the title 'Mayor' for more than one year in office. 
  • Does the Mayor run the council?

    The Mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan Council is a non-political and non-executive role. The Vale of Glamorgan Council is headed by the Leader of the Council and their Cabinet, with scrutiny committees monitoring Cabinet decisions closely.


    The Mayor chairs Council meetings and ensures that each agenda item is debated fairly.


    At full council it is unusual for the Mayor to speak on an issue as they need to be impartial. However if necessary they hold the casting vote on issues.

  • Does the Mayor earn a lot of money?
    All councillors receive a basic allowance, but the Mayor receives an additional special allowance set by Council to enable the Mayor/Deputy Mayor to carry out their additional duties.
  • When does the Mayor wear the chain of office? 
    The Mayor always wears the chain of office when on official business, unless specifically requested not to. 

    The Deputy Mayor wears her chain when representing the Mayor.