The Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayoress of Douglas have been formally appointed for the 2020-21 municipal year.

 His Worship the Mayor with Deputy Mayoress Councillor Natalie Byron and Deputy Mayor Councillor Janet Thommeny

Councillor Janet Thommeny will serve as Deputy Mayor and Councillor Natalie Byron as Deputy Mayoress.

The appointments were made at a special meeting of the Council held on Friday August 14 presided over by His Worship the Mayor, Councillor Jonathan Joughin JP.

Addressing the Council His Worship explained that the 2020 Annual General Meeting had had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, meaning no formal appointments could be made until the health emergency had eased.

The Mayor and Mayoress with the newly appointed deputies

Ahead of making the appointments His Worship confirmed that his wife, Mrs Angela Joughin, had agreed to serve as Mayoress and Monsignor John Devine OBE as Mayor’s chaplain for the remainder of the 2020-21 Mayoral year.

Mrs Angela Joughin will continue to serve as mayoress for the 2020-21 municipal year

Turning to the appointment of Deputy Mayor, His Worship said Councillor Thommeny was ‘a dedicated councillor’ for Athol ward and that she had ‘a very tenacious attitude when it comes to getting things done.

The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress with, left to right, Ben Byron, Nathan Teare, Barbara Byron, Andrew Teare, Logan, three and Tegan seven, Thommeny, David Thommeny and Helen Thommeny

He continued: ‘Being asked to serve as Deputy Mayor is a great honour, I know, as a I was Deputy Mayor to a former Mayor, the late Councillor Stan Cain.

The Mayor and Mayoress with the Mayor's chaplain Monsignor Devine OBE

‘After the tragic loss of the former Mayor and my Deputy Mayor Councillor Debbie Pitts last year I asked Janet to step in at very short notice. This is where Janet showed her true colours. She had a very tough act to follow indeed, but she grasped the nettle and has risen to the challenge.’

The proceedings concluded with His Worship presenting the Deputy Mayor’s badge to Councillor Thommeny and the Deputy Mayoress’s badge to Councillor Byron.