We're getting an elected Lord Mayor for Dublin!

icdg

Rebelheart wrote: »

I don't think it will be a 'lord' mayor unless the English crown is authorising it. The first 'Lord Mayor' of Dublin was only in 1665 and authorised by Charles II of England. From 1229 until 1665 the title of the first citizen was Mayor of Dublin. Even professional historians have incorrectly referred to the mayor in medieval times as "lord" mayor.

But what I'd like to know is are they going to abolish the office of Lord Mayor now that there will be a real mayor of the city? The Drivetime programme this afternoon did not address that.

As mentioned earlier there is both a Lord Mayor of London and a Mayor of London. The two are completely different offices however - the Mayor of London is the executive head of the Greater London Authority, which covers the 32 London boroughs, wheras the Lord Mayor of London is the titular head of London Corporation, which is the local government for the City of London, a mere square mile in size.

In theory a similar situation could exist here. I have not seen the proposed legislation, but it appears there is going to be no Greater Dublin Authority alongside the Mayor, merely a small "Mayor's Office". This could limit his power base very much in that he will be very much dependant on the officials in the four seperate councils to do his bidding, but they will have their own seperate County Managers to answer to. A new executive head should have a body to answer to, but it appears the mayor will be grafted on top of the existing legislation so it sounds like a receipe for trouble. The Mayor of London is accountable to the GLA, but who will the Mayor of Dublin be accountable to between elections.

Secondly, the major function Gormley is assigning to the Mayor is to be chair of the Dublin Transport Authority. He is obviously not talking to his colleague Noel Dempsey who announced months back, the DTA Act notwithstanding, that there will be no Dublin Transport Authority, or if there is, it will only exist for a short period before it is subsumed in a National Transport Authority. (see this Irish Times article - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0114/1231738221347.html ) I think there would be a very big issue if the Mayor of Dublin was to chair an authority that covered the entire country.

Breezer

Sleepy wrote: »

So because we can't rely on the person we're already paying to do a job to do it we need to hire someone else with all the expense of a ministerial-level salary, a staff, and an election every few years?

While I take your point about the expense, I think you need to look at who this 'we' is. We, the people of Dublin, do not appoint the county and city managers, and have no say over whether or not the job is being done right. Whereas we will elect the mayor and if the job isn't being done right, we can elect someone else. That's crucial.

I think €200,000 is obscene though. And since this mayor will presumably be taking some of the responsibilities currently in the hands of the managers, their salaries should also be reduced accordingly. I can't see it happening.

Iwasfrozen

The OP didn't provide an opinion with the origional post, thats against the forum rules.

deadhead13

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

The OP didn't provide an opinion with the origional post, thats against the forum rules.

Oh.

Dero

bcirl03 wrote: »

Bertie would be the last person I'd like to see in.

Exactly. Bertie in charge of planning? The mind boggles...

gearoidc

I heard Bertie (at his inarticulate best) on the radio saying that next year might be "a bit too soon" for him but that he would definitely consider it.

Is it possible that he could actually believe he his blameless for what has happened this country!!?????
Or that he thinks people believe the shiite he spouted at Mahon???!!!!


:mad:

Darragh29

Breezer wrote: »

While I take your point about the expense, I think you need to look at who this 'we' is. We, the people of Dublin, do not appoint the county and city managers, and have no say over whether or not the job is being done right. Whereas we will elect the mayor and if the job isn't being done right, we can elect someone else. That's crucial.

I think €200,000 is obscene though. And since this mayor will presumably be taking some of the responsibilities currently in the hands of the managers, their salaries should also be reduced accordingly. I can't see it happening.

+1. 200K is insanity for this job. 100K max.

vincenzo1975

George Hook said today on newstalk, that if bertie goes for it, that he will stand for mayor to oppose him.

step forward Mayor Hook.