About the Mayor of Surrey Heath

Surrey Heath's 39th Mayor has been named as Councillor Tim Dodds at the Borough Council's Annual Meeting on Wednesday 18 May 2011. He has lived in Lightwater for over 25 years and has been a Councillor for the Lightwater ward since 2007. He was last year's Deputy Mayor.

Councillor Dodds is married to Janina, who will support him as Mayoress in his mayoral duties.

Councillor Dodds was born in Wolverhampton and moved to the south when he was in his 20s. Now retired Tim used to work for a number of companies in managerial roles in marketing.

He has served on various council committees, including Leisure and Environment Scrutiny Committee, Standards Committee, Local Development Framework Working Group and Fairoaks Airport Consultative Committee.

The new Mayor said: "It is a huge honour to have been elected as Mayor of Surrey Heath and I have a hard act to follow in last years Mayor, Councillor John May.

"I want to be a digitally aware Mayor, by tweeting, using Facebook and continuing with my blog, with the aim of connecting with the whole community, including young people and silver surfers."

The Mayor's charities this year, that he will be raising money for are Home Start Surrey Heath and Christopher's Smile.

Cllr Dodds will be supported by the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Bruce Mansell.

Historical Information
The word "Mayor" and "Major" derive from the same Latin word, Magnus, meaning great. The office of Mayor, together with the Domesday Book and the feudal system, were brought to this country by the Normans as such an office had existed on the continent at least since the fifth century.

The office of Head of the Corporation is as old as the particular Borough itself, but in many towns the name of "Mayor" for this official is, comparatively speaking, an innovation which was introduced by the Municipal Corporation Act 1835.

1199 The first "Mayor Town" in England, Thetford, established (although the City of London Mayoralty dates from 1192).

Middle Ages Position similar in many ways to that of today, ie acknowledged as "First Citizen" of the town. The Mayor would normally preside in the Borough's civil and criminal courts.

Tudor The powers of the Mayor as Chief Magistrate (sometimes the sole Magistrate) greatly increased. Magistrates in this period were the "maids of all work" and, as a result, their personal importance was expanded.

17th Century In many Boroughs the Mayor had become all-powerful.

19th Century The Mayor could be the centre of all political activity with the terms of office lasting often two to four years. The political role of the Mayor, rather than the social and ceremonial role, was more important in this era than it is today.

20th Century The political role of the Mayor diminishes and the social and ceremonial role becomes more emphasised.

It was not until 1974 that it became compulsory for Mayors to be selected from members of the Council.