Council is recommended to resolve to elect a Lord Mayor to the start of the Annual Council meeting in May 2025.

Councillor Rowley, outgoing Lord Mayor, invited nominations for the office of Lord Mayor.

Councillor Railton moved, and Councillor Fry seconded, that Councillor Louise Upton be elected Lord Mayor for the 2025/26 Council Year. There being no other nominations or dissent, Councillor Upton was duly declared elected Lord Mayor.

Council resolved that Councillor Louise Upton be elected Lord Mayor for the 2025/26 Council Year.

Cllr Regisford joined the meeting.

Council is recommended to resolve to appoint a Deputy Lord Mayor to the start of the Annual Council meeting in May 2025.

The Lord Mayor invited nominations for the office of Deputy Lord Mayor.

Councillor Clarkson moved, and Councillor Lygo seconded, that Councillor Mike Rowley be appointed Deputy Lord Mayor for the 2025/26 Council Year. There being no other nominations, Councillor Rowley was duly declared appointed.

Council resolved that Councillor Mike Rowley be appointed Deputy Lord Mayor for the 2025/26 Council Year.

Cllr Regisford joined the meeting.

Council is recommended to resolve to appoint a Sheriff to the start of the Annual Council meeting in May 2025.

The Lord Mayor invited nominations for the office of Sheriff.

Councillor Miles moved, and Councillor Kerr seconded, that Councillor Andrew Gant be appointed Sheriff for the 2025/26 Council Year. There being no other nominations, Councillor Gant was duly declared elected.

Council resolved that Councillor Andrew Gant be elected Sheriff for the 2025/26 Council Year.

There were no declarations.

Announcements by:

1.     The Lord Mayor

2.     The Sheriff

3.     The Leader of the Council (who may with the permission of the Lord Mayor invite other councillors to make announcements)

4.     The Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer, Monitoring Officer

The Lord Mayor announced her chosen charities for the 2025/26 Civic Year were The Gatehouse, OXSRAD and TRAX. She also announced that during the Mayor Making Ceremony, she would formally welcome Cadet Serjeant Ffion Trinder of the Blackbird Leys Detachment as the Lord Mayor’s Cadet for 2025–2026, a tradition that was lost over the last years but today revived.

The Leader congratulated the new Civic Office holders and Councillor James Taylor to their new posts. She thanked the outgoing Civic Members, and Cllr Barbara Coyne for their service to the Council over the years.

There were no announcements from the Chief Executive.

Reverend Buckley, City Rector offered his congratulations to new and returning Members noting the shuffle of the seats within the Chamber. He gave his best wishes to the Council for the 2025/26 Council Year.

Council will receive and note a report from the Leader on:

1.    The appointment of the Deputy Leader of the Council;

2.    The appointment of up to 8 additional members of the Cabinet;

3.    The responsibilities of the Leader, Deputy Leader, and other Cabinet Members;

4.    The Council’s representative and their substitute on the Oxfordshire Joint Leaders Committee;

5.    The appointment of Members of the Shareholder and Joint Venture Group which has responsibility for acting as shareholder of the Council’s companies and for safeguarding and furthering the Council’s interests and investments in its companies and joint ventures.

6.    The Executive Scheme of Delegation as set out in Section 4 of the Council’s Constitution dated 27 November 2024 (and agreed by Council on 27 November 2024); and

7.    Any other matters.

Councillor Brown, Leader of the Council moved the report, seconded by Councillor Chapman, which set out the appointment and responsibilities of the Deputy Leader, Cabinet portfolio holders and other executive appointments. They were as follow:

Deputy Leader and Cabinet appointments and responsibilities

Oxfordshire Joint Leaders Committee appointments

Council resolved to note the report.

Cllr Roz Smith joined the meeting.

The Director of Law, Governance and Strategy has submitted a report asking Council to appoint committees and the members serving on those committees for the Council year 2025-2026 in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (Section 15) and other relevant legislation. Appendices 2 and 3 will be circulated in the Briefing Note published before the meeting, and any outstanding nominations to committee seats may be announced, or agreed, as appropriate at the meeting.

Recommendation(s): Council is recommended to:

1. Approve the structure of the Council committees, as defined within the Council’s Constitution and set out in Appendix 1: Committee Structure 2025-2026;
2. Approve the methods, calculations and conventions used in determining political representation on committees as outlined in the report and shown in Appendix 2: Political Proportionalities on Council Committees 2025-2026;
3. Appoint to committee seats in accordance with the requirements of political proportionality and the nominations made by political groups, as shown in Appendix 3: Committee Nominations 2025-2026;
4. Agree that all members of Council will form the pool of members able to observe on appeals and some grievances panels in accordance with the Council’s policies;
5. Appoint one non-executive member to the Joint Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as shown in Appendix 3: Committee Nominations 2025-2026.

Council had before it a report from the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy (Monitoring Officer) asking Council to appoint committees and the members serving on those committees for the 2025/26 council year, in accordance with the provisions under Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and other relevant legislation.

The Lord Mayor noted the late amendment to Appendix 3 to the report which nominates Councillor Jupp to the Audit and Governance Committee, explaining that the reallocation of the seat would mean that political proportionality rules would not be met across committees.

On being moved by Councillor Brown and seconded by Councillor Smowton, the recommendation was put to the vote. Council approved the recommendations and nominations to committee places, with no member voting against the amendment.

Council resolved to:

1. Approve the structure of the Council committees, as defined within the Council’s Constitution and set out in Appendix 1: Committee Structure 2025-2026; 
2. Approve the methods, calculations and conventions used in determining political representation on committees as outlined in the report and shown in Appendix 2: Political Proportionalities on Council Committees 2025-2026;
3. Appoint to committee seats in accordance with the requirements of political proportionality and the nominations made by political groups, as shown in Appendix 3: Committee Nominations 2025-2026;
4. Agree that all members of Council will form the pool of members able to observe on appeals and some grievances panels in accordance with the Council’s policies;
5. Appoint one non-executive member to the Joint Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as shown in Appendix 3: Committee Nominations 2025-2026.