Weymouth has a new mayor.

Cllr Kate Wheller was elected as the new Mayor of Weymouth at the annual town council meeting tonight, with Cllr Alex Fuhrmann elected as Deputy Mayor.

Cllr Wheller, who lives in Wyke Regis, is an experienced councillor. She is a Dorset Council member and previously served as a councillor with the former Dorset County Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, and was mayor of the borough.

Previously a Labour councillor she is now an independent.

She said: “I am delighted to take on the prestigious role of Mayor of Weymouth, and will relish the opportunity to promote our scenic coastal town to residents and visitors alike during my year in office.

“As one of the first of many public engagements I will carry out, I will be hosting the Annual Town Assembly at 1pm at the Community Expo on Saturday 20th May at the Jubilee Clock. It promises to be a terrific event which will be a great opportunity to meet different members of the community and find out more about Weymouth Town Council services and the role of the Mayor. Everyone is welcome to come along and discuss the town and ideas for the future.”

Outgoing Mayor Cllr Ann Weaving and outgoing Deputy Mayor Cllr Tia Roos were both thanked for all their hard work over the previous year by the incoming mayor.

Cllr Ann Weaving was described as a 'terrific ambassador' for the town and during a short speech she expressed her thanks to everyone who has supported her as mayor, saying it was ‘her happiest year’.

Other elections which took place tonight include:

Cllr David Harris was re-elected as Council Leader, with Cllr Luke Wakeling elected as Deputy Leader.

The following councillors were nominated to serve as Committee Chairs and will be confirmed at the next respective committee meetings:

Cllr Ryan Hope – Chair of Services Committee

Cllr Peter Dickenson – Chair of the Planning & Licensing Committee

Cllr Colin Huckle – Chair of the HR Committee

Cllr Howard Legg – Chair of the Appeals Committee

Cllr Pete Barrow – Chair of Finance & Governance Committee

Champions were also elected, including Cllr Gill Taylor as Community Champion, and Cllr Christine James as Armed Forces Covenant Champion, along with Cllr Matt Bell who was elected to the new role of Sports and Activities Champion.