NEW Mayors have been taking up their chains of office in St Albans and Harpenden this week.

Cllr Aislinn Lee has been elected Mayor of the St Albans district with Cllr Geoff Harrison as her deputy while in Harpenden, Michael Weaver is the new Town Mayor.

Cllr Lee, who represents Park Street on the council, has been involved in community politics for over 40 years and a councillor for 21 years.

She loves meeting people and said she was “absolutely passionate” about St Albans which had felt like home from the time she moved to the district.

She went on: “It is a tremendous honour to be chosen as Mayor of anywhere but to be chosen as Mayor of St Albans is doubly so. As first citizen of the city and district I love so much, representing the community I care so much about and having the opportunity to meet so many of the good people in St Albans who help on a daily basis to make our community the very best place to live for us all, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which I hope to fill with gusto, energy and great pride. I will simply relish it.”

Aislinn has taken children and young people as her theme for her mayoral year as family has always been important to her and she regards the people she serves as an extension to that family.

She has chosen Sure-start St Albans and Women’s Refuge as her charities and in addition, she will establish a bursary to provide some limited financial support to children leaving care to help them either embark on a university or college course or gain their independence by living in their own home.

Her first task at the mayor-making last week was to to make three former councillors Honorary Aldermen. She presented certificates and badges of office to Kate Morris, Chris Oxley and Martin Frearson.

In Harpenden, Town Mayor Cllr Daniel Chichester-Miles has handed over the chain of office to Cllr Michael Weaver, who voiced his hopes that more assets could be devolved from the district council .

His theme for the year is Working Together which he perceived could mean that assets such as Batford Springs and Park Hall could be transferred back to the town council from the district council.

He explained that it also applied to how the town council worked with local societies and other groups and he stressed that it would listen to what people wanted. “It is Harpenden first above all else,” he said.

Cllr Weaver has lived and worked in Harpenden for over 40 years and has been involved in many community activities. His chosen charities are the Herts Air Ambulance and the Harpenden Seniors Club.

He added: “I treat the office of Town Mayor as the greatest honour that could be bestowed on me.”

n The new Mayor of Hertsmere is Cllr Peter Knell who was Deputy Mayor last year and will be raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support and The Peace Hospice in Watford.