OKEHAMPTON Councillor Tony Leech will return to office as the town's mayor for another year, from next month. Cllr Leech served for two years as mayor of Okehampton, until May 2006, when Cllr Frances Luxton took over the role. 'I thought two years was long enough,' he said. Cllr Leech did not expect to be voted in as this year's mayor: 'I just put my name in as a bit of competition.' However, of the eight nominations for the position of mayor, seven nominees turned down the chance to stand —leaving only Cllr Leech willing to take up the chain of office. He puts the general reluctance to take on the role of mayor down to the pressures of the job: 'There is a lot involved in it,' he said. But he is delighted to take on the job again. 'It was an absolute privilege to do it last time, and it's still a great privilege. 'It's amazing to think that an ordinary chap from Suffolk, like me, can become mayor of Okehampton. I'm proof that you don't have to be wealthy to become a mayor.' Cllr Leech first moved to Okehampton 19 years ago. He works full-time as a property maintenance manager for English Heritage, responsible for an area stretching from the West Midlands to the Isles of Scilly. He said: 'I took on the mayorship originally to prove that you can be mayor and have a full-time job. I really want to get younger people on the council.' He is keen to stress that he is 'absolutely independent from party politics. I believe that's as it should be. We should all be working for the good of the town and the community.' Cllr Leech will officially take up his new role at Okehampton's mayor choosing ceremony on Thursday May 17.
