Reigate and Banstead borough has a new mayor in Councillor David Pay.

Coun Pay and his deputy, Coun John Stephenson, were elected at Reigate and Banstead Borough Council's annual council meeting recently.

Coun Pay, who will serve for the 2014/15 municipal year, said after his election: “It is a huge honour to be elected as mayor for this wonderful borough. “I have served here as a councillor for 14 years and I am thoroughly looking forward to serving as mayor for the coming year.”

Coun Pay continued: “One of my priorities as mayor will be to assist, wherever possible, young people. “They are, of course, the future of this country, and we owe it to them to equip them for it as best as we can.”

Coun Pay has been a borough councillor, initially for Redhill East and then for Redhill West. His wife, Barbara, will accompany him during his year as mayor. They have three children and two grandchildren. Coun Stephenson has been a borough councillor since 2007, when he was elected to represent the ward of Woodmansterne, Chipstead, Hooley and Netherne. He and his wife Geraldine, both previously from Yorkshire, have lived in the borough since 1975, and have three children and five grandchildren. Coun Pay has chosen two charities to support during his mayoral year - Parkinson’s UK and St Catherine’s Hospice. Parkinson’s UK is the Parkinson’s support and research charity, working to find a cure for the disease and to improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s. St Catherine’s Hospice is a charity dedicated to providing specialised end-of-life care and support to local people, their families, friends and carers. They provide free, high-quality hospice care to people living in East Surrey, Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex.