Negotiations to shape the balance of power in Galway City Council are set to commence tomorrow in order to form enough support to select a mayor at the first meeting next week.
With Fianna Fail holding five of the 18 seats, they seem best placed to gather enough support for a rainbow coalition to take control of the Council for the next five years.
Already tentative inquiries have been made to three groupings with a view to forming a coalition that will allocate the office of the Mayor and other key positions.
A grouping of Fianna Fail, FG and the three former PDs seems likely, but a source close to the negotiations says that they are prepared for any eventuality with talks to continue over the weekend.
However, there is intense speculation that the office of mayor next month will go to FF Cllr Ollie Crowe or FF Cllr Peter Keane, with the order following that to be decided in negotiations.
The role comes with extra prestige this year as the next chosen mayor will be the key official for the first six months of Galway 2020. The new mayor will also perform the historic offical opening at a ceremony next February.
As such, it will be much in demand and will offer the holder a high profile across the region.
However, with a General Election a certainty in the next twelve months, offering a candidate such a profile may also influence the party’s choice of nomination.
The new Galway City Council are set to hold their first meeting tomorrow week, Friday June 7.
