Chairman’s role is better late than never for Chris!
Councillor Chris Millar was proudly sworn in as the new Chairman of Daventry District Council (DDC) last night – 20 years after he was originally due to take up the top civic role.
At yesterday evening’s online meeting of DDC’s Annual Council (Thursday, 23 July), he received the chains of office from retiring Chairman, Councillor David Smith. Councillor Mike Warren was appointed Vice-Chairman for the year at last night’s meeting.
Councillor Millar was originally due to become DDC’s Chairman in May 2000, but stepped down from the preceding Vice-Chairman role in 1999 after becoming Leader of the Council – a post he then held for two decades until stepping down in October last year.
Councillor Millar becomes the 48th Chairman of Daventry District Council and the final member to take the reins before the authority is replaced by the new West Northamptonshire Council in April next year. During his time as Chairman, he plans to raise money for Daventry-based charity Time2Talk and Marie Curie while aiming to raise the positive profile of Daventry District and its local communities to a wider audience.
His role as Chairman is a non-political, civic role, which involves representing the Council at events and functions, as well as chairing Council meetings to ensure they are properly run in accordance with the Constitution.
Councillor Millar, who was first elected to the Council in 1998 and represents Long Buckby Ward, said: “You could say that it has taken me 20 years to get from Vice-Chairman to the role of Chairman! I’m hugely honoured to have been chosen for this wonderful civic role and represent the Council in its final year before local government reorganisation. There are so many wonderful things our District has to offer and I’ll be doing as much as I can to raise their profile as widely as possible.”
Originally from Bristol and having previously lived in Surrey, Manchester and London, father-of-three Councillor Millar moved to Daventry District in 1993.
He said: “Becoming a councillor was not something I had really thought about, but when I was asked to stand as a candidate and was elected in 1998, it was a great feeling being able to serve my local community and help people. I had the privilege of leading the Council for 20 years, pursuing a progressive agenda for our District, and really enjoyed my varied political journey. Taking on this new and very different role at the Council is the icing on the cake.”
During his time on office, Councillor Millar will be raising funds for Time2Talk, a small charity operating solely within Daventry District and South Northamptonshire which offers free information, counselling and preventative intervention services for young people aged 13 to 19, and for those with special educational needs up to the age of 25. In addition to this he will also be aiming to raise money for Marie Curie, another charity close to his heart having seen their support and care for friends over the years.
To find out more about the Chairman, including how to invite him to your event or function (including online) visit www.daventrydc.gov.uk/Chairman<http://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/Chairman>, contact the Chairman’s Secretary on 01327 871100 or email chairman@daventrydc.gov.uk
