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29
Sept
New Ripon mayor: ‘People are angry… but we want to work with the community’
New Ripon mayor Barbara Brodigan has pledged to “work with the community” to win back trust after a turbulent two weeks.
Councillor Brodigan was elected mayor last week after previous mayor, Cllr Jackie Crozier, resigned before facing a vote of no confidence. The reason for the vote of no confidence has not been disclosed.
The change of mayor, along with other changes including the removal of the leader’s role, led to three extraordinary meetings of Ripon City Council in 11 days.
At the start of the latest one on Friday (September 26), Cllr Brodigan addressed recent developments by reading a statement.
She said it was “regrettable that the past few weeks have not shown the best side of Ripon”. She added “Ripon has great potential, but it is under-performing” and it was time for a “cohesive and cooperative approach” to make the place better.
Cllr Brodigan said:
In-fighting among us will not help us to help the city attain its goals.
We recognise that recent events have destabilised the community. Belief and trust in politics and politicians is at an all-time low both nationally and internationally.
Some people have lost trust in us. We understand that people are confused and angry by the proposed vote of vote confidence in the previous mayor. Understandably you want to know why we came to such a decision. You want to know why we decided to move the positions of leader and deputy leader. Tonight, we aim to make other decisions for change. Ripon City Council is currently in a state of change. Change is never easy to implement or accept. This is not change for the sake of it. We believe it is a change for the better.
You have asked questions — we promise we will provide answers – but not some immediately. This is not obfuscation. Genuinely, there is some information which we cannot divulge for various reasons, e.g. confidentiality, under data protection and employment law. Where we can, we will answer questions and share information.
Opening up the town hall
Cllr Brodigan pledged “the most open and accessible council that Ripon has ever seen” when she was elected and gave further details of this on Friday. She said:
Within the next two weeks we will start our programme of community engagement through Town Talk sessions in the mayor’s parlour, when residents can meet and talk with some councillors over a cup of tea or coffee. Different community groups will be invited but there will also be opportunities for individuals to attend. It will be a chance to ask questions directly to your local councillors. These will be weekly sessions.
The RCC Roadshow will be a monthly event when councillors will go out to speak with community groups.
Let’s stop the misinformation, the rumours, the guesswork, the stirring up of feelings and emotions. We want to work with the community. We want you to understand why certain decisions have been made. We hope that you will give us that chance.
Cllr Brodigan also discussed her own background. She said she moved to Yorkshire in 1968 to teach and finished her education career as head of international development at a university college in Yorkshire. She said she had lived in Ripon for eight years, adding:
“As you can tell from my accent, I am not a Riponian. I wasn’t born here but I have chosen to live here. Ripon is a wonderful historic city.”
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