Elected Mayor Petition Options

[Richard Garvie]

I just wanted to ask if any of those who support the mayor system would like to help with a petition? This is not a party political petition, as far as I know two other political parties have requested information about forcing a referendum. Hundreds of people have already signed up, and the target date for submission is early February. I am personally planning to do Hungerford this Saturday with some colleagues, and Newbury on Friday and Saturday evening. There will be people in Newbury on Saturday daytime too.

The purpose of this petition is not because it's neccessarily my view or anyone in the Labour Party locally. We have decided to carry out this petition after the current administration refused to carry out a proper consultation on the leadership models available to the council. In correspondance with the leader of the council, I requested that the leadership decision be delayed so that a proper consultation could be carried out. I was told to "include it in my manifesto if it is something I care about". This shouldn't be about what I think, or what Graham Jones believes. There is a lot of support for the mayor option and it's only right that the general public should be allowed to have their views heard.

I would like to think all parties will be supportive of staging this referendum, especially the Lib Dems who are supposedly all for proportional representation. An elected mayor system would mean that the leader of the council would be elected by a large percentage of the district rather than 800 votes in one ward. The directly elected leader would also be accountable for when things go wrong, unlike at present when nobody seems to be accountable. Do you think Graham Jones would have closed the Ormonde Centre and Hillcroft House if he was accountable to the whole district? No, I don't think so either.

If you are available to assist with the petition, my mobile number is 07593 278690 or you can email richard.garvie@googlemail.com

[Richard Garvie]

Adopting a mayor in West Berkshire might actually save money if you look at the facts. The only additional cost is the referendum, which would have been avoided if the council had conducted a proper consultation. It's not like these points were not made to Graham Jones before the strong leader model was adopted, he could have taken action then but refused. One thing I do know is that this current administration is not transparent or accountable to anyone.

[dannyboy]

Adopting a mayor in West Berkshire might actually save money if you look at the facts. The only additional cost is the referendum, which would have been avoided if the council had conducted a proper consultation. It's not like these points were not made to Graham Jones before the strong leader model was adopted, he could have taken action then but refused. One thing I do know is that this current administration is not transparent or accountable to anyone.

Might save money?

I can't see how that can be. Accountability has a cost implication.

Forget the cost of the referendum & attempting to score a few points with the repetitious mentioning of the consultation.

[Richard Garvie]

Might save money?

I can't see how that can be. Accountability has a cost implication.

Forget the cost of the referendum & attempting to score a few points with the repetitious mentioning of the consultation.

You brought up the cost of the referendum. The mayor position would be more than covered by abolishing the role of Chairman of the Council, the costs that go with that position and also using the expenses currently given to the leader of the council. From rough calculations, we would need to pay a mayor over £70,000 a year before it cost us money.

[dannyboy]

You brought up the cost of the referendum. The mayor position would be more than covered by abolishing the role of Chairman of the Council, the costs that go with that position and also using the expenses currently given to the leader of the council. From rough calculations, we would need to pay a mayor over £70,000 a year before it cost us money.

When I said cost I was refering to the cost of an accountable Mayor. You decided to assume I was on about the cost of the referendum. I'm not on about the cost of paying a mayor either.

So what about the cost when your accountable Mayor has to be recalled? When the electorate wants answers & enquiries are set up? Sounds to me like more jobs for layer upon layer of consultants & bureaucrats.

[Richard Garvie]

When I said cost I was refering to the cost of an accountable Mayor. You decided to assume I was on about the cost of the referendum. I'm not on about the cost of paying a mayor either.

So what about the cost when your accountable Mayor has to be recalled? When the electorate wants answers & enquiries are set up? Sounds to me like more jobs for layer upon layer of consultants & bureaucrats.

But you did initially use cost as an argument against the mayor option:

And you really think wasting money on a Mayorial election will put an end to lurching from one crisis to another?

A Mayor would only be recalled for a reason, 10% of the electorate need to request it. So unless the mayor lied like the current administration, or fudged consultations like the current administration or even axed vital frontline services without consultation (see where I'm going with this?), the mayor would not need to be recalled. It's a mechanism used to recall a Mayor as a last resort, if there is no other option. At present, the majority of the council can recall a strong leader, but what chance is there of 32 Conservatives recalling Graham Jones? With only 16 opposition members at present, the Conservatives can do what they like, with no consequence.