Cllr Tony Davey has stepped down as Mayor of Stroud after a term he described as both challenging and rewarding, during which he supported the town council through a major office move, the arrival of a new chief executive and preparations for a possible new unitary authority model.
In a post published on Friday, 18 September 2026, Mr Davey said his time as mayor had allowed him to meet more members of the community and gain a deeper understanding of how people and organisations support one another across Stroud.
A focus on explaining local government
Mr Davey said he had set himself the goal of making local government easier to understand through clearer communications. He pointed to his weekly blogs as part of that effort, while acknowledging that the work of explaining council decisions and processes would never be complete.
“Whilst rarely without its challenges, I have found my role as Mayor to be both impactful and rewarding. It has given me the opportunity to meet so many more members of our community, better understand the way our community works and supports each other, and support our brilliant Officer team to deliver impactful outcomes for our communities.”
He also thanked the council’s communications team, saying its work would continue after his departure and went beyond what he had been able to achieve through his own updates.
Office move and council transition
Mr Davey said he had considered not serving an additional term but decided to remain in post to support the council during its final transition to new offices. He also wanted to help the new chief executive become established and assist with the early transition towards a new unitary authority model.
Although local government reorganisation has been temporarily suspended, he said the council’s work was continuing. He reported that the new chief executive had settled into the role and that the council had relocated to its new offices, where staff were beginning to make the premises their own.
His departure comes as the council begins work on the budget for the next civic year. Mr Davey explained that budget-setting starts around this point in the local government calendar, with budgets normally finalised around February or March before implementation in April.
Annual elections for a new mayor take place in May, meaning the person elected would inherit a budget set before their appointment. Mr Davey said electing a new mayor now would increase the chance of that person leading collaboration on a fair and effective budget for the civic year ahead.
Thanks to councillors and officers
Mr Davey thanked councillors for their support, singling out Deputy Mayors Cllr Fenton and Cllr Stinton for their contribution. He also praised the council’s officers for handling the office move and organisational restructuring.
He said officers and councillors each played an important role in delivering work for the community, including activity that was not always visible to the public. Mr Davey thanked everyone who had given him the opportunity to represent the people of Stroud and said he looked forward to seeing local communities continue to thrive.