A NUMBER of councillors representing Wokingham and the surrounding area will be standing down ahead of the local elections this year.
Among the long-standing representatives standing down are two Liberal Democrats members, two Conservative members and one Labour councillor.
It means that even if no seats change hands there will be five fresh faces serving on Wokingham Borough Council following the elections on May 4.
Councillor Clive Jones (Liberal Democrats, Hawkedon), the current council leader has announced that while two of his colleagues are standing down as borough councillors, the party is hoping to remain on its respective town councils.
The longest serving retiree councillor is John Kaiser, who was first elected 12 years ago in 2011.
Elections for Wokingham Borough Council and the town and parish councils will take place on Thursday, May 4.
Maria Gee
Cllr Gee has served as a Liberal Democrat representative for Wescott since 2019.
Recently, cllr Gee led the charge against car meets in Wokingham, successfully campaigning for a public space protection order (PSPO) allowing council officers and police to fine those responsible for anti-social behaviour committed at car meets.
Cllr Gee is a Liberal Democrat candidate for Wescott West ward on Wokingham Town Council.
Gregor Murray
Cllr Murray served as a Conservative representative for Norreys since 2019.
During the Conservative administration from 2019-2022, he served as the executive member for the climate emergency and emissions.
At the time, he was involved in plans to establish a solar farm in Barkham and seeking ‘Tree Cities of the World’ status among other projects.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen (Conservative, Hillside) leader of the borough Conservatives, said cllr Murray is retiring due to career responsibilities that require travelling.
John Kaiser
Cllr Kaiser has represented Barkham ward on Wokingham Borough Council since 2011.
In the last Conservative administration, he served as executive member for finance and housing.
He was also the Borough Mayor for the 2018-2019 municipal year, attending the opening of the Sutton Court housing development in Earley, Sit & Sip Wokingham and the Rainbow Café in Woodley.
Shirley Boyt
Cllr Boyt has represented the Bulmershe & Whitegates ward which covers Woodley and Earley since 2019.
In that time, she raised concerns about increasing parking fines in Woodley.
An issue she highlighted went viral in a case where drivers had their cars forklifted up so contractors could paint double yellow underneath them in Blackthorn Close, Earley.
After the cars were returned to the ground, they were hit with parking fines.
These fines were cancelled after cllr Boyt raised the issue.
Tahir Maher
Cllr Maher has been a Liberal Democrat representative for Maiden Erlegh ward since 2019.
He has served on both the Borough Council and Earley Town Council, being elected to both councils in 2019 after standing in the borough and town council elections in 2015, and borough council elections in 2016 and 2018.
He has recently been a member of the borough council’s Audit and Governance Committee.
Cllr Maher is a Liberal Democrat candidate for the Redhatch ward on Earley Town Council.
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