DUDLEY'S mayor will have to find her own way to public engagements after the council decided to sell-off her official car.

To add insult to injury the borough’s first citizen could be carrying out her duties in fake chains of office because the mayoral assistant, who guards the gold chains, is also getting axed.

The decision to flog the mayoral vehicle has been slammed as diminishing the borough’s civic pride.

Councillor Adam Aston, who served as mayor’s consort when his mother Margaret Aston was mayor, is demanding a rethink.

Cllr Aston said: “The mayor is the physical embodiment of civic pride and represents the King and the Lord Lieutenant.

“The idea that the mayor can turn up to functions in a Vauxhall Corsa and park next to the mayors of other authorities – it diminishes the status of the borough.” 

Dudley Council is currently faced with finding millions of pounds in savings to fill a black hole in its finances and avoid following City of Birmingham Council having to declare itself effectively bankrupt.

Dudley Council’s leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, said: “We are facing unprecedented financial challenges, and we need to look at all areas of spend including how we operate the mayoral function.

“By no longer having a permanent mayoral car and an attendant, we can save around £60,000 a year, while providing the serving mayor with the freedom to drive themselves to any number of engagements as they wish, without the need for a member of staff to accompany them.

“Replica chains are being considered and could be worn for some smaller occasions, with the original civic chains to still be in use for full council and official engagements such as Remembrance Sunday and Armed Forces Day.”

The current Dudley mayor, Cllr Hilary Bills, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she was unable to comment.

Cllr Aston added: “Birmingham is effectively bankrupt and they haven’t gone after the mayoralty.

“Whoever suggested this doesn’t understand the borough’s history and the importance of the mayor in the civic life of the borough, they are selling off the family silver – once it’s gone it’s gone.

“I was always struck by how pleased people are when the mayor comes along to their event, they expect gold chains and the mayor to arrive in style.

“That’s what it means to be the first citizen in the office of mayor.”