We asked some of Councillor Spiers' fellow Conservatives for their thoughts on her departure.
Councillor Allen Kay , executive member for recycling and street services, said: "She's been a fantastic leader. The new waste service opened less than two years ago and she's been very supportive of that."
Councillor Victor Broad , served as Councillor Spiers' deputy and portfolio holder for finance, said: "One quality stands out and that was her determination to do not only what was right for the borough but most importantly the residents. Whether it was dealing with the problems of the business community or an elderly gentleman with flooding in his garden, they all received the same level of attention from her. She will be a hard act to follow."
Councillor Julian Ellacott , portfolio holder for housing and welfare, said: "Joan has shown how Conservative councils should act – listening to residents, delivering the services and projects that residents ask for efficiently and cost effectively, and balancing the pressure to spend more with the pressure to keep council tax down. In a very determined and powerful way, she has pushed other councillors and council officers to do their very best, delivering such major projects as Priory Park, new leisure centres, and the complex and lengthy regeneration projects which are now under way."
Crispin Blunt , MP for the Reigate constituency said: "Cllr Joan Spiers has been a longstanding senior figure on the council and the Conservative Association. She is entitled to look back with satisfaction at her record of service to citizens of the borough. Disharmony inevitably accompanied the attempt to deselect me as the Conservative parliamentary candidate. This inevitably casts a temporary shadow over her more lasting achievements, which is that we were served by one of the best performing boroughs in the country on any independent measure and this is one of the most desirable places to live in the United Kingdom.".