Colchester Council's Tory group leader, Christopher Garnett, is set to become the town's mayor in the new millennium.
Mr Garnett's nomination is almost certain to go through unopposed at tonight's council meeting.
He is set to be installed as deputy mayor to Liberal Democrat Martin Hunt in May and will become mayor 12 months later.
Mr Garnett, 64, has represented Boxted and Langham since 1982. He came to Colchester with the Army in the 1960s and when he left the services in 1974 joined the financial services sector.
He is semi-retired and lives with his wife Ann in Moor Road, Langham. In order of seniority on the council, he would have been nominated for mayor this year.
However he stepped aside because of business commitments, and the fact that Mrs Garnett was not due to retire from her teaching post at St Mary's School, Colchester, until September last year.
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