Owens reflects on time as council chair

It's expected Fianna Fail's Peter Ormond will take over the role of Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council at a meeting to decide the issue next Monday afternoon. Speaking to the Offaly Independent this week outgoing Cathaoirleach Danny Owens reflected on his own time in the Chair and picked out the visit of US President Barack Obama and a civic receptions for Special Olympians as his own highlights. Cllr Owens took the Chair of Offaly County Council in March 2011 when then Cathaoirleach Barry Cowen was elected to Dail Eireann. He retained his position in the council's next AGM last June but will leave the role next week when his successor is selected. "I don't like having to give it up," Cllr Owens admitted. "It's been an interesting year." That interesting year and a bit has included a visit by US President Barack Obama and his wife First Lady Michelle Obama to Moneygall in the south of Offaly in May 2011. Cllr Owens aid that while normally similar situations are very formal, that visit was "very casual, very relaxed, a wonderful experience". "It'll be something I'll treasure and I won't forget it in a hurry," he said. A second highlight from the year for Cllr Owens was a civic reception for Special Olympians Patrick Moore, John Michael Gannon and Gary McCabe that he himself proposed. "It was a great memory from the year," he said. The biggest negative point of the year for Cllr Owens was, perhaps unsurprisingly, the budget. "We had a €4m deficit," he explained. "We had to find that money somewhere." Cllr Owens admitted that the areas of arts and heritage in particular took a hit, but said balancing a budget is a difficult job. "When you're in a position of responsibility you have to make difficult decisions," he said.