SKIPTON'S annual town meeting and mayor making ceremony are due to take place on Thursday (May 17).

The town meeting will be held in Skipton Town Hall and will be followed by the annual meeting of the town council, which will include the election of the new mayor.

Outgoing mayor, Cllr Andrew Rankine, will be chairman of the annual town meeting, which will start with a brief review of the town council’s activities over the last year.

It is traditionally one of the final duties for the outgoing mayor, as the new one will be appointed as the first business at the council’s annual meeting later in the evening.

There is no fixed agenda for the town meeting - any elector can raise an issue and a vote can be taken if required.

Dave Parker, chief officer of the town council, said: “The annual town meeting is not a meeting of the town council, it is a meeting of registered voters from within the parish and must take place, by law, each year. It provides an opportunity for residents to talk about any matter relating to the parish – and, if those present wish to do so, they can pass a resolution which will then be considered by the council.”

He added: “The meeting can be a very direct way of raising matters of concern and, although any vote taken is not legally binding, it does provide members of the council with a good indication of the issues local electors would like them to investigate.”

The meeting is open to anyone, but only those who appear on the register of electors for the parish of Skipton can speak or vote on any issue.

Both meetings will take place in the council chamber of the town hall. The town meeting will start at 6pm, The annual meeting of the town council will start at 7pm, unless the town meeting over runs.