Leader to stand down

Cllr Steve Galloway

Steve Galloway announces today that he will not be seeking reappointment as the Leader of the City of York Council at its Annual Meeting on 22nd May.

Steve Galloway has been the Councils Leader since May 2003. He has been a Councillor in the City since 1973.

Commenting today Steve said,

"I have enjoyed my 5 years as Leader of the Council and greatly appreciate the support that residents and Council staff have given to me.

However, it is a demanding, 7 days a week, job and I feel that the time is right for someone else to take on the burden.

When I became Leader in 2003 the City faced a crisis of confidence. Partly because of adverse publicity concerning a previous post holder, the Council had become introspective and defensive. It faced a major revenue shortfall and had no concrete plans to address emerging community safety, economic development or public investment priorities.

Our "York Pride" initiative was - and still is - aimed at sustaining the drive for improved public service standards in the City. We now have an education system which is the envy of the rest of the country, our social service buildings have all been modernised and we continue to offer easier access to support services, for vulnerable people, than comparable Councils.

Street cleanliness standards are at a record high, crime levels at a record low and our transportation strategy is being replicated by Councils across the country.

We now have an investment programme which is transforming both the public and private realms. New schools are being built, transport systems improved and leisure facilities - such as libraries and swimming pools - modernised.

The Council has also been decisive when taking potentially unpopular decisions. Our concern for the conservation of our built and natural environment did lead us to introduce separate recycling collections and to invest heavily in the Hazel Court recycling centre and the new EcoDepot.

These were difficult decisions but ones that more and more people are now praising.

Similarly our concern for less well off members of society ensured that we would back the new Arclight centre for homeless people. Again not a popular decision with everyone.

Confidence in our City remains solid.

History will probably record the last few years as the era when the City made a giant step from a dependence on its historic economy to the new technologies that will sustain us in the future.

We have seen 5 years of record low unemployment figures despite an accelerating switch from traditional manufacturing jobs to those in the emerging knowledge and science industries.

New buildings like the York College, St Johns and the Councils own Hob Moor, St Oswald's and St Barnabas schools, will shortly be joined by an expanded University and completion of developments on Hungate and Piccadilly.

All add to the Cities economic diversity and long term success.

York faces a very exciting decade.

Barriers to the development of the York North West sites have largely been overcome, funding for new public transport systems secured, housing modernisation is on target for completion by 2010 and the Council's own new HQ project will reduce annual running costs - releasing more funding for street level public services.

My successor, I know, will want to take the final steps to secure a new sports stadium for the City and will lead in driving through the modernisation of our indoor concert and leisure facilities.

He or she will have my full support and help where requested. They will start knowing that the Councils financial position is more secure. That we continue to have the lowest Council Tax rate outside of the south east of England and that we have in place a balanced budget plan covering the next three years

Residents can be confident about their future in a City which cherishes the best of its history while being prepared to take bold decisions to secure its ongoing prosperity".

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Steve Galloway will remain an active member of the Council and will focus more of his efforts on his own Westfield Ward which has itself already seen major change during the past 5 years.

EDITORS NOTE

Steve Galloway Biography

York Council Leader Steve Galloway was first elected to the York City Council and then North Yorkshire County Council in 1973. He has served continuously ever since and has a wide range of experience of local government structures and committees.

He became Leader of the City of York Council in May 2003.

By profession he is a business planning manager but Steve retired from his job with BT in 1998 to become a full time Councillor.

Steve Galloway holds several Council positions.

As well as chairing the Councils policy making Executive committee, he is also chair of its Economic Development Board and is the Vice Chairman of the City's "Without Walls" local strategic partnership and chairs its Delivery Board.

He serves on the Safer York Partnership Board and the York Central Board which has been established to regenerate the land which lies behind the York Railway station.

Outside York, Steve is a member of the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Assembly and is the Chair of the Regional Planning Board.

He is a member of the Leeds City Region Leaders group, is the new chair of their Housing committee and is also deputy Chair of that organisations transport sub committee.

Nationally, he is a member of the Executive of the Local Government Association.

Steve's main policy interests centre on financial management and transport although recently he has also been responsible for the York Pride/Safe City initiative.

Steve was the Leader of the small York Council Liberal Group in the 70's and 80's a similar position to which he held on the North Yorkshire County Council (of which he is now an Honorary Alderman) in the 80's and 90's.

He became Leader of the Opposition on the new York Unitary Council in 1999.

Steve was Lord Mayor of the City in 1983/84 and has lived in the Westfield ward - which he and his wife Sue now both represent - for over 38 years. He is a member of the York Civic Trust and Friends of the Earth.