The Mayor

Find out who the Mayor is, what he does, how to invite the Mayor to your event, and about the coat of arms.

Mayor of Rushmoor 2018 - 2019

Councillor Steve Masterson was elected as the new Mayor of Rushmoor at the Annual Council meeting on 22 May.

First elected as a Borough councillor in 1991, Councillor Masterson represents Cove and Southwood Ward in Farnborough.

Councillor Masterson has selected three charities for his mayoral year and will be fundraising for the Soldiers, Sailors and Armed Forces Association, Parity for Disability and Step by Step.

The Mayor's fundraising events include a cycle ride, golf tournament, afternoon teas and a charity ball. If you would like details of fundraising events for the Mayor's charities, please contact the Mayor's office using the contact details on this page.

The Mayor is supported by Councillor Sue Carter as his Deputy Mayor.

The Deputy Mayor 2018 - 2019

Councillor Sue Carter represents the Cove and Southwood Ward in Farnborough.   

Mayoral invitations

The Mayor welcomes invitations to attend events held by local organisations. Please complete our Mayoral invitation form if you would like the Mayor to attend a function or event.

We will contact you about the Mayor's availability for your event within seven working days. Due to demand, the Mayor may not be able to accept all invitations.

Before inviting the Mayor to your event, please read the  Guidance notes for Mayor's visit [173kb].

The role of the Mayor

The Mayor is the first citizen and the Queen's representative in the Borough and, as such, he takes precedence over all other citizens in the Borough. The only exception to this rule is when royalty or the Lord Lieutenant are visiting the Borough.

The office of Mayor dates back as far as AD 451. The title is derived from the French, "Monsieur le Maire" and before that it probably originated from the Latin "Major".

Local authorities, which have been granted borough status by the crown, have no more powers than ordinary district councils, but the chairmen and vice-chairmen of borough councils have the right to be styled 'Mayor' and 'Deputy Mayor'.

In his role as the civic head of the borough, the Mayor represents the borough at all civic ceremonial events.

• At major civic events, such as ceremonies relating to the granting of the Freedom of the Borough, he wears the robe, chain and badge of office and is preceded by the Macebearer with the mace
• On other occasions, he will wear the chain and badge of office but for most functions he attends he wears the badge of office on a ribbon. It is the badge that is the symbol of his authority

During his term of office, the Mayor will attend up to 300 engagements. These may include:

• Meeting royalty
• Visiting other local authorities
• Various events in partnership with the military
• Visiting schools
• Welcoming overseas visitors
• Opening fêtes
• Supporting charity events

The Mayor also chairs full meetings of the council in accordance with standing orders, and conducts the meeting in a fair and impartial manner.

The Mayor is formally appointed to the office of Mayor at the first meeting of the Council in the municipal year. This meeting is more of a ceremonial event and is normally referred to as 'Mayor-making'.

As Mayor, he cannot be a member of the Cabinet, although he may be a member of any of the Council's standing committees and policy and review panels but only in his capacity as an ordinary Member of the Council.

 Criteria for selection of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor [40kb]

The Borough's coat of arms

Arms

The coat of arms was granted by the College of Heralds, 7 August, 1975.

The crossed swords in the first section of arms depict the borough's close association with the army, and the key surmounted by an astral crown in the second section signify the connection with the Royal Aircraft Establishment. The rose in the third section is the Hampshire rose, the emblem of the county in which Rushmoor is situated.

Crest

The fern leaves and roses are similar to those in the crest of the former urban district of Farnborough.

Supporters

The lions used as supporters are similar to those in the coat of arms of the former borough of Aldershot, although the right hand lion now has wings to denote the borough's association with aviation. The right hand lion also has an astral crown around its neck, with a Latin cross hanging from it. The left hand lion has a mural crown with a gold star.

Motto

The motto 'strength in unity' was selected by the council from many suggestions submitted as signifying the amalgamation of the two towns of Aldershot and Farnborough.

Past Mayors