Westmeath County Council



Westmeath County Council (Comhairle Chontae na hIarmhí) is the local authority of County Westmeath, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 20 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Pat Gallagher. The county town is Mullingar.

History
Originally Westmeath County Council held its meetings in Mullingar Courthouse. The council commissioned a purpose-built facility, known as County Hall, in Mount Street in Mullingar in the early 20th century. In the early part of the 21st century it occupied a historic building on the same site associated with the old county gaol. It then moved to more modern facilities at the new County Buildings, to the south of the previous facility, in 2009.

Regional Assembly
Westmeath County Council has two representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Midland Strategic Planning Area Committee.

Elections
Members of Westmeath County Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).

Local electoral areas and municipal districts
County Westmeath is divided into LEAs, defined by electoral divisions, for the purposes of local elections, and into municipal districts for the purposes of local exercising of the powers of the local authority.

Councillors
The following were elected at the 2024 Westmeath County Council election.

Councillors by electoral area
This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.