‘Emotional day’ as council elects new mayor

WATERFORD County Council has a new mayor. Cllr Mary Greene is the fourth representative from the Suir Electoral Area to wear the civic chain and lead the local authority.

A UCD Commerce graduate, Cllr Greene works as a Home School Community Liaison Teacher at Scoil Mhuire, Greenhill, Carrick-on-Suir. She’s promised to make jobs, the environment and management of the local authority key issues during her term.

She was first elected in 1999 and is a former Chairman of Co Waterford Vocational Education Committee. She is currently the Chairman of the Board of Management of St Declan’s Community College, Kilmacthomas. She has chaired the Co Waterford Rural Transport Committee since its inception.

At the recent Fine Gael Árd Fheis, Ms Greene was one of the three Munster councillors elected to the newly formed representative body for councillors.

Accepting the chain of office, the new mayor paid tribute to her predecessor Cllr Ger Barron and complemented him on his excellent service to the council. She also congratulated the newly elected Deputy Mayor, Cllr Paudie Coffey.

“I have had a good working association with the staff of Waterford County Council. I have no doubt that this will continue during my term as mayor, and I look forward to forging even stronger bonds.

“This is a particularly emotional day for me as I wish more than anything that my father Gerard Greene was alive to see this,” she said as she accepted the mayoral chain.

“My great-grandfather Matt Walsh was elected to the first Waterford County Council in 1899, serving during its most turbulent times until his death at a council meeting in 1927. He was succeeded by my grandfather Godfrey Greene who served until the Council’s dissolution in 1934.

“Since I was a child my father made me aware of my heritage and although not involved in politics served his community and county well through his involvement with the co-op movement. When I told my father that Fine Gael had asked me to run for the council elections in late 1998, he was supportive though privately very worried,” she recalled.

Among her key priorities will be environmental issues such as recycling, as well as attracting jobs to the area.

“During my term as mayor I look forward to the launch of the Working Waterford website, in September. This initiative by Waterford County Council, aimed at attracting investment to the county from a worldwide audience, will be a valuable marketing tool and will provide statistical and economic information for potential investors,” she added.