Each year the 16 Bridgwater Town Councillors choose one of themselves to become Mayor. This ceremonial role is however also the Chair of Council and the chief Ambassador for Bridgwater, not to mention being the Town’s First Citizen for that year. Eastover Councillor Jacqui Solomon was elected for Labour in 2022 and such an impression has she made amongst her fellow councillors that within 2 years of taking office she has now been voted into the top role of the progressive town council. Currently in the news for taking back control of local services and assets, the Town Council is seen as a trailblazer for devolution following the demise of Sedgemoor District Council and the jittery start of the new Somerset Council. Jacqui’s consort whilst in office will be her daughter Phoebe and her Mayoral Charity will be Seed of Hope.
Jacqui was born in Burton on Trent in Staffordshire but moved to Somerset at the age of 9 where her parents ran the Sedgemoor Inn in Westonzoyland.
Her Bridgwater education included 2 years at Bridgwater Grammar School for Girls before it became Haygrove Comprehensive and then Bridgwater College. After that she went to Liverpool University graduating in geography and geology.
Employment wise she went into the world of trade and industry as an accounts clerk including several years in London before returning to Somerset to run the pub. Later she went into teaching, doing a spot of teacher training at UWE in Bristol and then getting a job teaching geography at Chilton Trinity for 16 years.
She married husband Dave, a lecturer at Bridgwater College, in 1989 and they have two children Phoebe who works for Somerset Council and Jacob , a primary school teacher in Hampshire.
Today Jacqui works part time as a Weddings Ceremonies Officer for the Registration Service and has been doing so for 8 years. During the pandemic she could be found at the Lateral Flow Test Centre for 8 months.
A keen environmentalist, Jacqui is eager to support the Town Councils’ open spaces strategy and is already deeply involved in local initiatives being Chair of the Friends of the Meads Project.
Another of her passions is the Climate Emergency and she is working closely with Councillors Kathy Pearce and Liz Leavy on a Climate strategy for the Town Council.
Within the new Council structure she is also key spokesperson on Youth matters and is now vice chair of the Finance commitee.
