# Mid and East Antrim Borough Council

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is a local authority that was established on 1 April 2015. It replaced Ballymena Borough Council, Carrickfergus Borough Council and Larne Borough Council.

## History

On 2 December 2021, the councils chief executive Anne Donaghy was suspended and stated her intention to take legal action for discrimination. In January 2023, she announced her retirement.
In 2022, another DUP councillor, Marc Collins, was suspended for abusive tweets directed at Sinn Féin MP John Finucane and his family.

## Mayoralty
### Mayor

| From | To | Name | Party |
| 2015 | 2016 | Billy Ashe | DUP |
| 2016 | 2017 | Audrey Wales | DUP |
| 2017 | 2018 | Paul Reid | DUP |
| 2018 | 2019 | Lindsay Millar | UUP |
| 2019 | 2020 | Maureen Morrow | UUP |
| 2020 | 2021 | Peter Johnston | DUP |
| 2021 | 2022 | William McCaughey | DUP |
| 2022 | 2023 | Noel Williams | Alliance |
| 2023 | 2024 | Gerardine Mulvenna | Alliance |
| 2024 | Present | Beth Adger | DUP |

### Deputy Mayor

| From | To | Name | Party |
| 2015 | 2016 | Timothy Gaston | TUV |
| 2016 | 2017 | William McNeilly | UUP |
| 2017 | 2018 | Cheryl Johnston | DUP |
| 2018 | 2019 | Cheryl Johnston | DUP |
| 2019 | 2020 | Beth Adger | DUP |
| 2020 | 2021 | Andrew Wilson | UUP |
| 2021 | 2022 | Matthew Armstrong | TUV |
| 2022 | 2023 | Beth Adger | DUP |
| 2023 | 2024 | Stewart McDonald | TUV |
| 2024 | Present | Bréanainn Lyness | Sinn Féin |

## Councillors

For the purpose of elections the council is divided into seven district electoral areas (DEA):
| Area | Seats |
| Ballymena | 7 |
| Bannside | 6 |
| Braid | 7 |
| Carrick Castle | 5 |
| Coast Road | 5 |
| Knockagh | 5 |
| Larne Lough | 5 |

### Party strengths

| Party | Elected 2014 | Elected 2019 | Elected 2023 | Current |
| DUP | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
| UUP | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Alliance | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| TUV | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Sinn Féin | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Independents | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| SDLP | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UKIP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

### Councillors by electoral area

Current council members :
| District electoral area | Name | Party |
| Ballymena | Rodney Quigley | Independent |
| Ballymena | Matthew Armstrong | TUV |
| Ballymena | Brian Thompson † | UUP |
| Ballymena | Bréanainn Lyness | Sinn Féin |
| Ballymena | Reuben Glover | DUP |
| Ballymena | Jack Gibson † | Alliance |
| Ballymena | Lawrie Philpott | DUP |
| Bannside | Anna Henry† | TUV |
| Bannside | Stewart McDonald | TUV |
| Bannside | Ian Friary | Sinn Féin |
| Bannside | Thomas Gordon | DUP |
| Bannside | Tyler Hoey | DUP |
| Bannside | Jackson Minford | UUP |
| Braid | Archie Rae | Sinn Féin |
| Braid | Beth Adger | DUP |
| Braid | William McCaughey | DUP |
| Braid | Christopher Jamieson | TUV |
| Braid | Alan Barr | UUP |
| Braid | Chelsea Harwood | Alliance |
| Braid | Matthew Warwick | TUV |
| Carrick Castle | Lauren Gray | Alliance |
| Carrick Castle | David Clarke †‡‡ | TUV |
| Carrick Castle | Billy Ashe | DUP |
| Carrick Castle | Robin Stewart | UUP |
| Carrick Castle | Bethany Ferris | UUP |
| Coast Road | James McKeown | Sinn Féin |
| Coast Road | Andrew Clarke | DUP |
| Coast Road | Geraldine Mulvenna | Alliance |
| Coast Road | Angela Smyth | DUP |
| Coast Road | Maureen Morrow | UUP |
| Knockagh | Bobby Hadden | Independent |
| Knockagh | Peter Johnston | DUP |
| Knockagh | Marc Collins | DUP |
| Knockagh | Andrew Wilson | UUP |
| Knockagh | Aaron Skinner | Alliance |
| Larne Lough | Maeve Donnelly | Alliance |
| Larne Lough | Gregg McKeen | DUP |
| Larne Lough | Roy Beggs Jr | UUP |
| Larne Lough | Robert Logan | Alliance |
| Larne Lough | Paul Reid | DUP |

## Population

The area covered by the Council has a population of 135,338 residents according to the 2011 Northern Ireland census.