Ian Reissmann (North Ward)
Town Council Service 2003 – present
Committees & current positions held
Finance, Strategy & Management (Chair), Town and Community, Townlands Steering Group (Chair)
Previous positions held
Mayor of Henley 2005-2006
Deputy Mayor of Henley
Ian has lived in Henley for over thirty five years and supported HRG since it began it 1991. He was first elected in 2003 and soon after was elected Mayor of Henley. Ian is well known for his work campaigning for Townlands Hospital and has been chair of the Townlands Steering Group since it was established in 2004.
For a number of years, in his role as Chair of FSM, Ian has helped to keep council tax rises below inflation, increase spending to improve the town and at the same time increasing HTC’s investments above inflation. Ian is also a strong supported of sustainability and is a member of the Climate Emergency working group. Ian led the project to install solar panels on HTC buildings in 2012. Ian was delighted when his long stranding wish to pursue an ethical investment policy was delivered in 2019. Ian does all of this work alongside his full time role as a director in a software development company.
Ask Ian
Why is it sensible to gently increase the HTC portion of the council tax each year?
Council Taxes help the Town Council to provide the huge range of services that the residents want and expect us to provide. We keep increases below the rate of inflation so there is no real terms increase. Currently average band D council tax is £2 per week. If you look at the range of services we provide, that’s a pretty good deal !
How do you justify big-spend projects? Eg the putting green
Some projects like the Adventure Golf project generate income. We have cautiously predicted annual income of £50k. So we’re providing a excellent facility while investing our money wisely. Some projects, such as Henley in Bloom, or our support for festivals generate less direct income, but help to keep the town attractive to residents and visitors and keep Henley financially viable. For example the number of empty shops is well below the national average.
How has HRG changed and developed over the years?
Some HRG members are familiar faces and have been active cllrs and supporters for a long time. It’s great to see lots of new younger faces which help us reflect the views of as many of the different groups as possible across the town.
You can contact Ian with your own queries by emailing I.reissmann@henleytowncouncil.gov.uk