At the annual meeting of Hertfordshire County Council, Councillor Laurence Brass was elected as the new Chairman, and Councillor Sandy Walkington was elected as Vice-Chairman. Councillor Steve Jarvis was elected as the Leader of the Council, marking a shift from the previous Conservative administration.

Election of Council Leader

Councillor Steve Jarvis, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, was elected as the new Leader of Hertfordshire County Council, succeeding Councillor Richard Roberts. Councillor Sally Symington nominated Councillor Jarvis, highlighting his experience and commitment to Liberal Democrat values¹ and Councillor Helen Campbell seconded the nomination, expressing her confidence in his leadership.

In his address to the council, Councillor Jarvis acknowledged the public's desire for change and outlined his administration's priorities:

We want a council that people see us on their side doing better for the children with special needs and for the children without special needs as well, actually fixing roads and bus services and creating a greener county.

He announced the first two priority actions of his administration's first 100 days: trialling a new approach to pothole repairs and holding a SEND summit to improve services for young people and their parents.

Election of Chairman and Vice-Chairman

Councillor Laurence Brass was elected as the new Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council, nominated by Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst and seconded by Councillor Stephen Jarvis. Councillor Brass is the first non-Conservative chairman in 32 years. In his acceptance speech, Councillor Brass pledged to carry out his duties impartially and to the best of his ability.

Councillor Sandy Walkington was elected as the Vice-Chairman of the council, nominated by Councillor Mark Watkin and seconded by Councillor Sally Symington.

Political Proportionality on Committees

The council addressed the allocation of seats to party groups on ordinary committees and sub-committees, as required by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989². A report from the Director of Law and Governance proposed disapplying the political balance rules for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Health Scrutiny Committee. This was to ensure fair representation, taking into account the presence of external members on these committees. The council voted to approve the allocation of seats and continue the waiver of political proportionality for the specified committees.

Appointments to Committees and Joint Committees

The council made appointments to various committees, including:

• Audit Committee
• Development Control Committee
• Employment Committee
• Health & Wellbeing Board
• Health Scrutiny Committee
• Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Partnership
• Impact of Scrutiny Advisory Committee
• Overview and Scrutiny Committee
• Pensions Committee
• Standards Committee

The council also appointed representatives to joint committees, including:

• Hertfordshire Police and Crime Panel (Councillor Matt Fisher)
• Local Government Pension Scheme Access Joint Committee (Councillor Tim Williams)
• Hertfordshire Growth Board (Councillor Steve Jarvis)
• Harlow and Gilston Garden Town Joint Committee (Councillor Miriam Swainston)

Representation on the Local Government Association and County Councils Network

The council appointed representatives to the Local Government Association General Assembly and the County Councils Network. Councillors Steve Jarvis, Sally Symington, Fiona Thomson and Doug Bainbridge will represent the council on the Local Government Association General Assembly. Councillors Steve Jarvis, Sally Symington, Richard Roberts and David Herring will represent the council on the County Councils Network.