Councillor John Stewart was selected for the post at Carrickfergus Borough Council’s annual general meeting last month, with Alderman Billy Ashe retaining his role as first citizen. A local businessman and keen historian, the 30-year-old was first elected to the local authority in 2011. “I was delighted to be chosen as deputy mayor; I’m sure it’s something everyone who becomes a councillor wants to do eventually and it gives you more of an opportunity to interact with people in the borough ,” said the Knockagh representative. “It was good timing as the DUP has dominated the role for the past number of years; it’s been 13 or 14 years since a UUP councillor was even mayor so at the moment the position of deputy mayor is as good as it gets. “I’m looking forward to taking on more of a civic role; as a councillor, a lot of what you do is behind the scenes so it will be good to have more of a presence at civic events. “I am always eager to hear from local residents and businesses and will do whatever I can to resolve issues or concerns they may have. My mobile number is available on the council website and I would ask anyone to get in touch about any issue that they feel needs resolved.”