Councillor Emlyn Dole has been elected the new Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council.
It follows the formation of a ruling coalition between Plaid Cymru and the Independent Group, which will also see Cllr Pam Palmer remain as Deputy Leader, and Cllr David Jenkins become the other Deputy Leader.
Plaid have 29 county councillors, and the Independents 21, giving them a total of 50 seats out of 74 members of Full Council.
Cllr Dole was elected Leader by a majority of XX at a meeting of Full Council today. He then announced his executive board, which will have five members from each group.
The Plaid Cymru members are:
- Leader, Cllr Emlyn Dole
- Deputy Leader and Resources: Cllr David Jenkins
- Education: Cllr Gareth Jones
- Environment: Cllr Hazel Evans
- Housing: To be confirmed
Cllr Dole said: “We are looking forward to serving the people of Carmarthenshire in an open and transparent manner.
“Over the coming weeks we will be formulating our forward work programme which will be based on responsible fiscal policies that will seek to ensure the safeguarding and continued improvement of public services in Carmarthenshire, and the regeneration and creation of new jobs and employment opportunities for the people who we have all been elected to represent.”
The Independents retain their original portfolios which are:
- Deputy Leader: Cllr Pam Palmer
- Regeneration and Leisure: Cllr Meryl Gravell
- Environmental and Public Protection: Cllr Jim Jones
- Human Resources, Efficiencies and Collaboration: Cllr Mair Stephens
- Social Care and Health: Cllr Jane Tremlett
Cllr Palmer said: “We will need to work closely together during this period of austerity, which does not look as though it will come to an end in the near future.
“We need to ensure that services which are vital to our residents are maintained, and this will be no easy feat bearing in mind the swingeing cuts to our budget.
“However, we will endeavour to work closely together in order to achieve this.”
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