Whitby Town Council has re-elected Sandra Turner as its Mayor for the 2026/2027 year.
Coun Turner, who sits for the Town South ward of Whitby Town Council was voted for by all councillors, except Coun Chris Riddolls who abstained, at the council’s ‘Annual Meeting’ held on Tuesday evening.
She told councillors: “Thank you for putting your trust in me for another year. It has been a difficult, challenging year we have gone through. But, we have a full complement of staff and are moving in the right direction. It is very positive.
“I am really looking forward to a proactive year with everyone, and working with everyone to achieve that.”
Coun Turner first served on the town council in the late 1990s and was elected to, the then, Scarborough Borough Council between 2000 and 2019.
The town’s deputy mayor will once again be Coun Jonathan Harston, Town North.
He served as deputy last year and will take the seat again after winning the votes, 7 to 5, against Stakesby’s Coun Jacqui Layman who was also nominated.
The meeting also saw councillors, and substitutes, appointed to the town council’s existing committees for Finance, Governance and General Purposes; Community and Events; Planning; Staffing; and the Pannett Art Gallery Committee.
A request for each appointment to be subject to a recorded vote, amid concerns of “cronyism”, was withdrawn by Coun Amanda Smith who later left the meeting with Coun Layman.
Committee chairpersons were elected as follows: Coun Peter Bolton (Finance and General Purposes); Coun Jane McLaren (Community and Events); Coun Elizabeth Mulheren (Planning); Coun Michelle Harle (Staffing); Coun Linda Wilde (Pannett Art Gallery).
