Douglas Borough Council HOME NEWS SERVICES LIBRARY HOUSING EVENTS JOBS LEISURE THE COUNCIL OUR PARTNERS You are here:Home > Info > Mayoralty Mayoralty font size Print Email In 1891 some 35 per cent of the Manx population was living in Douglas, placing additional demands on the town. The Douglas Municipal Corporation Act of 1895 provided for the election of 18 councillors for the town’s six wards with six aldermen elected by the councillors. This legislation enabled the formation of the Municipal Borough of Douglas in 1896. The first Mayor of Douglas was Alderman Thomas Keig JP, a cabinet maker and amateur astronomer who helped pioneer photography in the Island. Since then 86 men and women have served the Borough as Mayor. For the 2021-22 mayoral year the holder of the office is Honorary Freeman of the Borough of Douglas, Mrs Raina Chatel. She previously held the office of Mayor in 1994-95 and in 2016 became the first woman on whom the Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Douglas was conferred. She is supported by her Mayoress Mrs Deirdre Chatel, her sister-in-law. Her Deputy Mayor is Councillor Janet Thommeny and Deputy Mayoress Councillor Natalie Byron. Serving as Mayor’s chaplain is chaplain to the Bishop of Sodor and Man, the Rev’d Dr Michael Brydon. Councillor Chatel’s late husband, Mr George Chatel MBE, served as Mayor in 1993-94 and in 2007 received the Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Douglas. She has three sons, Gary, Andrew and David. Manx-born, she won a scholarship to the Buchan School and began her working life as an office junior with the Council in the tramways department. She has been a hotelier for more than 50 years, has served as a Douglas councillor representing Victoria Ward since 1985 and also served on the former Board of Education for 27 years. An ardent supporter of the local community, she has an abiding interest in the Henry Bloom Noble Library, one of the many community services provided by the Council, and is chairman of Manx Decaf, which supports people with dementia and memory difficulties, their families and friends. As a long-standing resident of Douglas Promenade, she has been deeply interested in the progress of its redevelopment scheme from day one and her views on the subject are well respected. On being nominated to serve as Mayor she said: ‘It is an honour to serve as Mayor of Douglas for a second term and to have the opportunity to strengthen the Council’s already close links with the local community. It is my mission to promote Douglas and the Isle of Man to the very best of my ability.’ For her 2021-22 charity appeal she has selected Graih, a Manx charity supporting the homeless, the Manx Youth Band and Rebecca House, the latter in memory of the late Debbie Pitts, a former Mayor and Douglas councillor, who devoted much of her career to caring for terminally ill children and those with life-limiting illnesses. Last modified on Wednesday, 11 August 2021 18:43 2 Published in Info back to top A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Leisure Douglas golf course Noble's Park Glens Playgrounds Horse Trams Skate Park BMX Track Promenade Planning and Environment Building Control Byelaws Recycle Parking and Streets Car Parks Civic Amenity Site Recycle Borough Wardens Pay Parking Charges Online The Council Know your Councillor Council Meetings Jobs with the Council Apply to be a Supplier of goods or services Housing Tenant Services Apply for a house Moving House Sheltered Accommodation Library HBN Library e-Books Service Search, renew and reserve online News and Events Council News Library News Events Rates and Money The Budget Make a payment Local Government Pension Pay Your Rates General Enquiries: Town Hall Ridgeway Street Douglas Isle of Man IM99 1AD Tel: 01624 696300 Fax: 01624 696400 Email:enquiries@douglas.gov.im Town hall opening hours: Mon to Fri 8:45am to 5:15pm. Out of hours emergency number: 01624 671100 For additional contact details, please click here Find us on: Privacy Statement Disclaimer Contact Us A-Z Index