Since the turn of the year, Midsomer Norton Town Council’s first priority has been to establish a stable and effective staffing structure. This has now been achieved with the recruitment of two exceptional new members joining the team on a permanent basis.

The experience and guidance from Locum Town Clerk, Peter Finnis (taking over from the previous Locum in June) has been invaluable in directing the Council’s resources most effectively, utilising external HR consultants to quickly source top quality candidates for the Council to consider and managing the entire recruitment process.

Katie Mason, the new Town Clerk, is an experienced public administrator having served in the Royal Navy (2008-2022) as a Logistics Officer. She completed a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) in July 2023 and is excited to take up the position of Town Clerk.

Moving to Radstock in 2021, Katie previously lived for three years in Denmark, where she takes inspiration from the exceptional public services there. The new Town Clerk is looking forward to meeting local residents, who the Town Council serves, and fully exploring the remit of the Town Council’s responsibilities.

“You might see me cycling between Radstock and Midsomer Norton but I’ll also be available on Monday and Thursday afternoons at Unit 14, South Road, when the Town Council is open to the public as well as at Council meetings. Amongst a whole range of activities, I’m particularly excited about the Town Hall restoration and Somer Valley Rediscovered projects and I’ll be sharing updates through the Council’s website and Social Media as they progress.”

The Council’s new Deputy Clerk, Kate Egan, joined Midsomer Norton Town Council at the beginning of August after gaining experience of working within Local Government over the past six years, mainly with parishes in Somerset Council and is interested in seeing how her experience can be carried over. Kate has the full suite of qualifications for a Local Council professional, and is looking forward to working with the residents and Councillors of Midsomer Norton and getting to know the areas within the Town.

The new Clerk and Deputy join existing Council staff members Jo Corbett, who has been with the Council for three years as the Administration and Finance Officer and Town Warden, Dave Paisey who has been on the team for five years.

Delighted with the new appointments, Mayor of Midsomer Norton, Cllr Gordon Mackay commented, “It’s fantastic to welcome Katie and Kate to the Town Council. With the turnover of staff and having local elections this year, it’s been a challenging time which, I’m delighted to say, has been coped with admirably. My greatest thanks to Jo for her hard work during this time and the two Locum Clerks, Paul Russell and Peter Finnis who have given such great service over these last nine months.”

“The Council is now in the most incredibly strong position going forward with the highest calibre staff to deliver results for the people of Midsomer Norton.”