New Mayor of Limerick's role - a historic first

In May 2019, the people of Limerick city and county voted in favour of a proposal for a directly elected Mayor with executive functions.

The process to define the specific duties and role of the directly elected Mayor involved a wide range of stakeholders from Limerick city and county, such as representatives from the local business community, the academic, health and community sectors, and the general public.

Council members and executives also contributed and the participants drew from studies that looked at elected mayors in other jurisdictions around the world.

MAYOR'S ROLE IN LIMERICK CITY AND COUNTY COUNCIL

Creating the position of a directly elected Mayor for Limerick city and county will improve service delivery and enhance democratic accountability within Limerick, both of which represent a major gain for all of the county's residents.

The Mayor will have an executive and representative role in Limerick City and County Council.

Executive – the Mayor will assume responsibility for many of the functions that are currently performed by the CE, who at is present the executive head of Limerick City and County Council.

Representative – the Mayor will assume the role of Limerick's first citizen, and so will represent the city and county locally, on the national stage and in an international setting. The people of Limerick will be represented by a candidate they chose via a direct democratic vote.

The directly elected Mayor of Limerick will be unique in Ireland as they will be the first mayor with executive powers. This means that they will be able to develop and implement strategies and initiatives that benefit Limerick city and county.

As a result, the office of Mayor in Limerick will change radically: the current role is being replaced by an officeholder who will personally define and oversee many of the policies that shape the local authority's activities.

Some of the fields covered by the Mayor's executive powers:

Strategic planning – the Mayor will design and propose long-term plans that drive the economic and spatial development of Limerick as a whole, such as the Limerick development plan

Housing strategy – the Mayor will put forward a housing strategy for Limerick and ensure its delivery

Road transport – the Mayor will focus on road transport and safety in Limerick, which will involve road maintenance and improvement, along with traffic management

Environment – the Mayor will develop services that protect and enhance the environment in Limerick

MAYORAL PROGRAMME

When the Mayor takes office, they will produce a document that explains their vision and objectives for their period as Mayor. This document will be known as the mayoral programme and it will remain in force for the Mayor's entire term of office.

The election for the Mayor will take place on the same day as the local elections

The Mayor can serve a maximum of two terms of office. These two terms can be consecutive or non-consecutive.

The Mayor will receive additional funding from central government to put their programme into action. Furthermore, they will be responsible for proposing Limerick City and County Council's annual budget to councillors, who will vote on this budget.

The Mayor will not just be accountable to the public at election time – while in office, their performance will also be scrutinised by councillors at the council's plenary meetings. Councillors are entitled to study and question mayoral reports and participate in mayor's questions.

The creation of the new position of directly elected Mayor will be a departure from the current two-pillar structure of local government in Limerick City and County Council. It represents a move to a three-pillar structure composed of:

The elected Limerick City and County Council

A directly elected Mayor

A Director General – formerly the Chief Executive.

NEW STRUCTURES TO SUPPORT THE MAYOR

A Limerick Mayoral and Government Consultative Forum will facilitate engagement between the Mayor and the national government.

An Implementation Committee will support the Mayor and the mayoral programme, which will set out the vision and objectives for the Mayor’s term of office.

A Limerick Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board will focus on implementing the key planning and infrastructure strategies in the Limerick area. The board will be chaired by the Mayor.

A Limerick Delivery Board Transport Subgroup, with a focus on transport infrastructure and services, will also be chaired by the Mayor.

STAFF

The Mayor will have five administrative staff to support their office. This may include a special advisor if the Mayor so chooses, in which case there will be an advisor and four administrative staff.

The term of appointment of a special adviser will end when the Mayor ceases to hold office.

All administrative staff will be drawn from local authority employees.

OTHER BODIES

The Mayor will automatically be a member of a number of local and regional government bodies:

Limerick City and County Council - as an ex officio member of the council, the Mayor will be subject to the same rights, responsibilities and duties as the other elected members.

The Southern Regional Assembly.

The Local Community Development Committee.

The elected council retains its primacy and performs a crucial governance role in the oversight of the Mayor. It does not lose its current powers and functions.

The Mayor will be fully accountable to the elected council in relation to their mayoral executive functions, including through the mayor’s report and mayor’s questions at plenary council meetings.