The Charter Trustees for the City of Durham met for their annual meeting, which included the election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and the appointment of various officers. The meeting also covered the scheduling of future meetings and a review of past minutes.

Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor

A key item on the agenda was the election of the Mayor and the appointment of the Deputy Mayor. After the election, both were scheduled to retire to the Robing Room, and the meeting was set to adjourn for five minutes. Following this, the newly elected Mayor was scheduled to receive the Seal and make the Declaration of Acceptance of Office. This would be followed by the Mayor's Acceptance Speech, after which the Mayor would call on the Retiring Mayor/Consort to receive the Past Mayor/Consort Jewels. The Retiring Mayor would then give an address, followed by a vote of thanks.

Appointment of Officers

The Charter Trustees were also scheduled to appoint several officers:

• Pant Master: Mr James Lee
• Billet Master: Superintendent Andrea Arthur, Durham Constabulary
• Macebearer: Mr David Baker
• Swordbearer: Mr Tom Dixon
• Recorder: Mr Mac Williams
• Mayor's Chaplain: The Dean of Durham, The Very Reverend Dr Philip Plyming

Scheduling of Future Meetings

The Clerk to the Charter Trustees, James Etherington, provided a report regarding the dates of future meetings for the municipal year 2025/26. According to the report, meetings have been arranged to commence at 11.30am after County Council meetings, with the exception of the meeting on Monday 30 June 2025, which is scheduled for 2.00pm. The proposed dates are:

• Monday 30 June 2025 at 2.00pm
• Wednesday 22 October 2025
• Wednesday 10 December 2025
• Wednesday 28 January 2026
• Wednesday 25 March 2026

The report recommends that the Charter Trustees agree to these dates.

Review of Previous Meeting Minutes

The minutes from the meeting held on 11 December 2024 were included in the report pack. During that meeting, the trustees considered a report regarding honorary freedom arrangements, which was ultimately deferred for further review. They also approved the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the financial year ended 31 March 2024, including the External Auditor's Report and Certificate 2023/24. Additionally, the trustees discussed and agreed to a council tax requirement of £45,516 and a £2.00 precept for 2025/26, opting not to increase council tax.