Councillor Debbie Pitts has officially taken office as mayor of Douglas for the 2017-18 year at a special council meeting held at the town hall.

She took the role, following in the footsteps of both her parents following a unanimous vote from members of the council.

Her proposer, Councillor Ritchie McNicholl, said it was ’almost inevitable’ she should have become involved in local politics, given her father Councillor Stephen Pitts and late mother Councillor Dot Pitts had performed the role before her.

’Debbie stood for election in Derby ward in 2012 and for the last five years has conscientiously served the Borough of Douglas as a councillor,’ he said.

’This is the first time a son or daughter of two former mayors has also become mayor, and given these most unusual circumstances, I believe it will be a very long time before we see this again.’

Councillor Carol Malarkey was the seconder for the nomination and she told the meeting Ms Pitts was 100 per cent committed to Douglas and its people and to making the town the best it can be, ’not just for now but for generations to come’.

Seconding the nomination Councillor Carol Malarkey said Councillor Pitts was ’100 per cent committed to Douglas and its people, and to making our town the best it can be, ’not just for now but for generations to come.’

She also outlined Councillor Pitts’ devotion to the younger members of her extended family, her work with children with life-limiting illnesses and the energy she applies to fundraising for cancer-related charities.

’As mayor, Debbie will draw on the legacy of public service learned from her father and late mother, on her passion to help to transform people’s lives, and on her abiding love of our town, the capital of the Isle of Man. She will deliver 100 per cent for Douglas,’ she said.

Accepting the nomination Councillor Debbie Pitts referred to the ’family tradition’ of serving as mayor and paid tribute to her late mother Dot and her father Stephen Pitts who had both held the office. She said: ’I hope to carry on the strong family tradition and make my own mark on the role of Mayor and local politics.’

Looking to the future she said her priorities would be the ’positive promotion of Douglas’, engaging with the community and for the doors of Douglas town hall to be ’open to as many people as we can’.

She added that she would take inspiration from the council’s corporate plan which pledged to create ’a brighter prospect for our town, our future’ and would support greater autonomy for the council as the Island’s largest housing authority.

She also paid tribute to her predecessor, John Skinner who, together with his wife, Gill Skinner as mayoress, had completed ’a wonderful year.

The two charities to benefit from the 2017-2018 mayoral charity appeal will be Rebecca House and the Pitts’ family charity, Dot’s Dream Foundation, formed in 2011 in memory of her mother.

Council leader David Christian praised retiring mayor John Skinner for presiding over the monthly meetings of the full council with fairness

’John and Gill have carried out their duties with dignity, pride and enthusiasm,’ and that they had given ’110 per cent’ during their tenure as mayor and mayoress of Douglas,’ he said.

Councillor Skinner said it had been ’an honour and a privilege’ to serve Douglas as ’first citizen’ and thanked the mayoress, his wife Gill, ’for her support and encouragement’.

Linda Curphey will serve as mayoress, Stephen Pitts as deputy mayor and Paula O’Brien as deputy mayoress.

Archdeacon, the Ven Andrew Brown, will serve as mayor’s chaplain.