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Mayor of Surrey Heath

Councillor John May became Surrey Heath's 38th Mayor at the Borough Council's Annual Meeting on Wednesday, 12 May 2010. First elected to the Council in 2003 to represent the Watchetts Ward, he has served continuously since that time.

Councillor May has served on the Community Scrutiny Committee and the Policy and Audit Scrutiny Committee as well as a member of the Finance and Asset Management Working Group which advises the Executive.

Councillor May has lived and worked across the area of Surrey Heath since 1985 running his own business as a Chartered Accountant, as well as being involved in numerous other small businesses. He has also lobbied for SME's (small to medium enterprises) to local and national governments and to the EU which is a particular area of interest to him.

Councillor May is married to Juliette, who will support him as Mayoress in his mayoral duties. They have five children, all of whom are grown up and 'off their hands'. They run a charity in the name of Councillor May's daughter, Lisa May, who died in the Thailand Tsunami in 2004.

The Mayor will be raising money for Heart 2 Heart and the Prostate Project, both based at Frimley Park Hospital, and some smaller Surrey Heath charities.

Councillor May is delighted to have the opportunity to serve as Mayor of the Borough of Surrey Heath and looks forward to a challenging and rewarding year.

Supporting Councillor May as Deputy Mayor is Councillor Timothy Dodds who has served on the Council since 2007. Councillor Dodds represents the Lightwater Ward and has served on various committees, including Leisure and Environment Scrutiny Committee, Policy and Audit Scrutiny Committee, Standards Committee, Selection Committee, Local Development Framework Working Group, Performance Indicator Working Group, Fairoaks Airport Consultative Committee and Lightwater Playing Fields Association Management Committee.

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.