At the Annual Council Meeting held on Wednesday 13 May, Councillors elected Councillor Curtis Bihari to serve as Mayor of Ferryhill for the municipal year 2026/27. This will be Councillor Bihari’s second term as Mayor of Ferryhill, he also held this position in 2023-24. Councillor Craig Johnson was elected as Deputy Mayor.
After being elected Councillor Bihari thanked the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Angus Ferguson, for his hard work over the past year.
Ferryhill has been at the heart of Curtis’ life from the very beginning. Raised on Bertha Street, he attended Broom Cottages Primary School before moving on to Ferryhill Comprehensive, then Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form and Newcastle University, where he graduated with a first-class degree in Politics and Sociology.
After university, he returned home to work at Ferryhill Sport and Education Centre, helping keep an important community facility open alongside his family.
Curtis also served a term as a Durham County Councillor, a role he remains incredibly proud to have held and of what he achieved during that time.
Outside of work, Curtis enjoys playing sport for local teams. He has played cricket for Mainsforth CC since childhood and also plays football for Ferryhill Miners United.
Speaking after his appointment as Mayor, Councillor Bihari said “Ferryhill has given me so much throughout my life, from my childhood and education to my career and public service. To now serve the town again as Mayor is a huge honour. I’m incredibly proud of where I come from and I’m determined to give everything I can to the role and to our community.”
The Mayor is currently considering which charities to support during his term in office and as soon as he reaches a decision, this will be announced along with details of fundraising events.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
