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Derry City Council is a Local Council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. the headquarters of the council is in the city of Derry on Lough Foyle. The Council employs about 550 people providing services to a population of about 105,000.
Council elections, conducted by a system of Proportional Representation, are held every four years. Each year, in June, at the Council's Annual Meeting, the Councillors elect a Mayor and a Deputy Mayor.
The Derry City Council area consists of 5 electoral areas: Cityside, Northland, Rural, Shantallow and Waterside. In 2001, the voters of Derry elected 30 members as follows: 14 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 9 Sinn Fein, 4 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 2 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and 1 Independent. The current Mayor is Councillor Gearóid Ó hEára (Sinn Fein) and the Deputy Mayor is Alderman Joe Miller (DUP).
The next election is due to take place in May 2005.
See Also: Local Councils in Northern Ireland
Local politics
In order to avoid controversy, the parliamentary constituency for the district (which currently has coterminous boundaries, though this has not always been the case) is called Foyle. The MP is former SDLP Leader John Hume. In 2003, the constituency's voters elected 1 DUP, 3 SDLP and 2 Sinn Fein members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Proposed boundary changes for future parliamentary/assembly elections would transfer two rural wards from Foyle to the East Londonderry constituency, where the current MP is the DUP's Gregory Campbell. However the proposed revisions will be subject to review and many are likely to argue that having co-terminous boundaries for the districts and parliamentary/assembly seats is a desirable and achievable aim. It remains to be seen if these changes will be enacted.
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