Press Release: Appointments of Council Chairman & Town Mayor and Vice-Chairman & Deputy Town Mayor 2023/24
Horley Town Council
Press Release: May 2023
Appointments of Council Chairman & Town Mayor and Vice-Chairman & Deputy Town Mayor 2023/24
At the Annual Meeting of Horley Town Council held on Tuesday, 16 May 2023, Members of Horley Town Council elected Cllr Martin Saunders as Council Chairman & Town Mayor for the Municipal Year for 2023/24. Cllr Tom Avery was elected as Vice-Chairman & Deputy Town Mayor.
Cllr Saunders moved to Horley in 2011 with his family. Martin says “I am passionate about Horley, it is where I call home. I love the combination of how Horley is small enough to get to know people and make new friends while large enough to support the town centre with great links to London and the South Coast. Martin’s career is in the internet industry, having worked for several Internet Service Providers and managed IT businesses. He founded Level Up Laptop Appeal, a project to donate laptops to disadvantaged young people in the Horley area which has donated 2,000 laptops to date. Martin is also very passionate about the environment, especially climate change and plastic waste. He proposed the council’s climate emergency motion in 2019 and shortly after, the HTC Environment Sub-Committee was formed.
Council Chairman & Town Mayor, Cllr Martin Saunders
accompanied by Vice-Chairman & Deputy Town Mayor, Cllr Tom Turner
Cllr Turner is a lifelong Horley resident who works in Business Intelligence at South East Coast Ambulance Service, having previously studied at the University of Oxford and worked as a civil servant in public health.
On accepting his appointment, Cllr Saunders expressed his profound appreciation and said:
“I am delighted and honoured to be elected to the office of Council Chairman & Town Mayor for this Municipal Year. My sincere gratitude is extended to my fellow Members for giving me this opportunity which I will carry out with passion and dedication. Horley is a thriving town with a strong sense of community and purpose and I believe we can shape an exciting future, especially for our young and disadvantaged residents."-
Cllr Saunders added that he aimed to take forward the excellent work of his predecessor, Cllr Samantha Marshall and gave thanks for the enormous contribution and hard work given by her and Vice-Chairman, Cllr Hannah Avery that led to many accomplishments for the Town Council.
In his concluding address, Cllr Saunders congratulated Cllr Turner on his appointment as Vice-Chairman and Deputy Town Mayor and wished him every success and fulfilment in the role.
On accepting his appointment as Deputy Mayor, Cllr Turner said
"I am humbled to have been given the opportunity to serve the town that raised me and I look forward to making the most of this opportunity to advance the interests of the town's younger population and its most vulnerable residents.”
At the first meeting of the Municipal Year, all Members were appointed to the main Committees, and Sub-Committees. Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs will be elected at the first meetings of these committees respectively. The schedule of Council meetings for the Municipal Year 2023/24 is available on the Town Council’s website and community notice boards.
All Members of the Horley Town Council Administration 2023-2027
ENDS
