New mayor and deputy mayor to be appointed at Mid and East Antrim AGM

Bannside DUP Alderman Tom Gordon and Carrickfergus Castle Ulster Unionist Councillor Bethany Carson-Ferris

The mayoral role in Mid and East Antrim will return to the DUP at the borough council’s annual general meeting taking place this evening (Monday, June 1) at The Braid in Ballymena.

The borough’s new first citizen is expected to be Bannside Alderman Tom Gordon.

The incoming deputy mayor is expected to be Carrickfergus Castle Ulster Unionist Councillor Bethany Carson-Ferris.

Bannside DUP Councillor Jackson Minford will step down following his mayoral year alongside deputy mayor Bannside DUP Councillor Tyler Hoey.

New committee chairs and vice-chairs will also be appointed during the meeting, along with committee memberships and a range of other positions of responsibility, including appointments to sub-committees, ad-hoc committees and outside boards, partnerships and groups.

The council’s main committees are the Corporate Resources, Policy and Governance Committee; Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee; Environment and Economy Committee; Planning Committee; and the Audit, Scrutiny and Personnel Committee.

Positions of responsibility within the borough are allocated in accordance with the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 using the d’Hondt system, which is based on the number of seats each party holds on the council.

Under the process, the party with the highest number of elected representatives makes the first selection at the beginning of each new four-year council term, followed by the second-largest party and so on.

This marks the fourth and final year of the current council term. Valerie Watts remains interim chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

Councillors will also be asked to approve a schedule of meetings covering the period from June 2026 until June 2027.