Ms Harvey has experience in modern foreign language teaching and had been on Monmouth town council for 17 years before being elected to be on the County Council from 1995 until 1999.
Ms Harvey grew up in Monmouth with her father being a GP in the local area.
Having joined the council as an independent, there were only 12 councillors throughout the whole town as Monmouth councillors hadn’t yet been appointed specific wards.
Ms Harvey was 24 when she was elected as a town councillor.
At the time there were political parties, but there were a lot of independents and the role of mayor was typically selected based on the seniority and would work in turns of councillors becoming mayor.
“I didn't do it the first time, but I changed my mind afterwards.” said Ms Harvey.
“When I was on the council first there was a feeling of what does she know?”
“I mean I had the advantage that I was a Monmouth person, so my colleagues were aware that I knew Monmouth and I had been here all my life.”
Whilst having all the mayoral duties, Ms Harvey had responsibilities like looking after her children, as she was elected deputy mayor when her daughter was born.
Ms Harvey said: “People were very impressed that I was managing to do everything that a mayor does whilst having these young children.”
“The thing I am most proud of during my time with the Town Council was buying what’s now the town field and the path that runs all the way from Wye bridge all the way to Dixton.”
“There wasn't a footpath or anything along there and so the Town Council agreed to buy all the fields along there, in the end it was agreed we could have one field and have a pathway.”
“I think it's something which people from Monmouth are still benefitting from.”
Ms Harvey visited many schools and events in her time being mayor, educating children about the mayoral role and what responsibilities were upheld being a councillor.
Despite the mayoral role having benefits of representing the community, there can be challenges along the way.
“I did a big feel a bit of weight on my shoulders, because I was the youngest. You feel like you don’t want to spoil it for anyone else.”
“You would be invited to official dinners and expected to say speeches and propose a thanks and these were things I had never done before.”
“They wanted someone who they felt they could represent Monmouth.”
“Theres two sides to it, there's chairing the meetings, if you want to run the council meetings smoothly, you have got be on top of the agenda and then there's the other side the ceremonial side.”
“I feel if you have been on the council for a few years, you should do it.”