Past Mayors
Rhyl Mayor 2023-2024: Councillor Ms Jacquie McAlpine
Newly Elected Mayor To Prioritise Social Cohesion.
At Rhyl Town Council’s Annual General Meeting on the 10th of May Members of the Council voted to elect Cllr Ms Jacquie McAlpine as Mayor for the forthcoming year.
Representing Bodfor ward Cllr McAlpine works locally and has a close and supportive family of four girls. Her Consort for the year will be friend and business owner in the town Ms Charlotte Taylor-Smith. With Reverend Chris Spencer kindly taking on the role as Mayor’s Chaplin.
Cllr McAlpine is acutely aware of the strain the cost-of-living crisis and after affects the global pandemic has caused and aims to narrow this gap to build a more cohesive community.
Commenting Cllr McAlpine said: “I am extremely conscious of the struggles and hardships faced by members of our community and aim to champion all the organisations and groups helping the most vulnerable to bring about a sense of inclusivity and social cohesion to all who reside in our town.
This ethos is reflected in Cllr McAlpine’s two chosen charities for the year: Rhyl Benefit Advice Shop a free walk-in advice centre offering advice and support on a range of benefits and secondly Rhyl Sea Cadets who offer a career pathway to young people from diverse backgrounds to take on exciting challenges building self-confidence.
The Mayor’s Honour Cadet for the year will be Rhyl Sea Cadet Peter Clayton with Sophie Hill the Reserve Honour Cadet.
Councillor Ms Cheryl Williams takes on the role of Deputy Mayor with Mrs Ann Jones as her Consort.
Rhyl Mayor 2022-2023 Cllr Diane King
A Rhyl councillor is to serve a historic second term as mayor.
Rhyl Town Councillor Cllr Diane King was first elected mayor in 2021. However, during her year in office, many events and activities were curtailed or cancelled due to the pandemic and subsequent slow recovery.
So fellow councillors voted to elect Cllr King as mayor for a second time, enabling her to fulfil a full year of activities including fundraising for her chosen charities, the Alzheimer’s Society, RNLI, and the North Wales Women’s Centre, Rhyl.
Cllr King was voted back onto the town council in the recent elections and was also elected as a Denbighshire County councillor for the first time.
Representing the town’s Cefndy ward Cllr King said: “It is an absolute honour to be elected mayor for a second time. My first year as mayor was very enjoyable but understandably many events were put on the back burner. As things return to normal, there is much I want to achieve including fundraising for the charities close to my heart. I want to thank the voters and my colleagues for putting their faith in me for a new term.”
It is not the first time Rhyl has had the same mayor two years on the run. Cllr King’s predecessor Cllr Ellie Chard served two terms during the Covid pandemic making both councillors record-breakers as the only mayors in town council history to serve twice in succession.
Former Llandrillo College lecturer, Cllr King, born and bred in Rhyl, said brighter times were on the horizon.
“The town council’s history books will one day note that Cllr Chard and I were the only mayors to serve twice, one after the other. It’s quite the honour! The last two years have been very challenging but, as always, Rhyl rises and survives.
“There is much to look forward to with new developments, changes across town and plenty of events and fun times to be had. Shoots of recovery are everywhere we look. I am looking forward to starting this new mayoral year afresh and can’t wait to get going to serve the people of Rhyl again,” she added.
Cllr King’s consort will again be Cllr Pete Prendergast, himself recently re-elected to the town and county councils.
Deputy mayor for a second time will be Bodfor Ward’s Cllr Jacquie McAlpine and her consort will again be Charlotte Taylor Smith.
Rhyl Mayor 2017-2018 Cllr Alan James
A TOWN councillor who once cycled to Paris to raise funds for charity is to be Rhyl’s next mayor - click here
Rhyl Mayor 2016-2017
Giving the people of Rhyl a voice and the power to make changes was the aim of Rhyl’s Mayor for 2016-2017
Cllr Sarah Roberts followed in the footsteps of Cllr Barry Mellor.
With the aim of improving social cohesion within the town, Cllr Roberts, a teacher, was joined by mum Glenda as consort.
The Mayor of Rhyl for 2015-2016 was Cllr Barry Mellor and his wife Toni was Mayoress.
Councillor Mellor used his year of office to champion all of the regeneration projects planned for Rhyl, in particular the new Rhyl High School and the Premier Inn development.
He worked with Neptune Developments in regards to their proposals for the promenade. Deputy Mayor was Councillor Sarah Roberts, and her Consort was Mrs Glenda Roberts.
Father Charles Ramsay was Cllr Mellor’s Chaplain.
