Coventry UKIP: Reduce councillors by a third to save cash

[dutchman]

A petition has been launched calling on Coventry City Council to reduce the number of councillors by a third.



Coventry UKIP has started the campaign.

The party wants to see the number of councillors reduced from two to three in each ward - a proposal which would see the total number cut from 54 to 36.

Colin Stubbs, chairman of UKIP in Coventry, said: “It’s unnecessary, we don’t need three per ward.

“This would save the council around half a million pounds, money which can be spent on road sweepers, nurses or whatever.

“It is pure self-interest from the councillors to maintain the status quo.”

Party members also confirmed they would like to see just one local election to reduce costs further - rather than the existing system of three elections every four years.

The petition is due to be put on the city council website shortly.

[rebbonk]

I reckon they'll get a lot of support for this.

[dutchman]

Coventry council rejects call to reduce elections - despite it saving £1.3m



A call to reduce the number of councillors and elections in Coventry – which could save the authority £1.3 million – has been turned down.

The current ‘election by thirds’ process sees a third of councillors elected every year for three years, with no elections in the fourth year.

Legislation enables councils to ask for a review, to move to whole-council elections for councillors to be elected every four years.

It is one of two ideas, as well as reducing the number of councillors from 54 to 36, proposed in a petition of 24 signatures set up by UKIP Coventry and Rugby chairman Ian Rogers.

The savings made in a whole-election switch were outlined in a report to the cabinet member for policing and equalities.

But Adrian West, members and elections team manager, said: “I would caveat the exact details though.

“They change regularly partly on the basis of the other election costs that take place elsewhere in the region or nationally.

“Some of those we know about but some of those are unplanned. That does have an impact.”

The council can ask the Boundary Commission for England to review its electoral arrangements, but final decisions are made by them, not the council.

Mr West added: “It is quite a long and complicated process. There’s quite a lot of data gathering, consultation, and a human resource cost.”

Mr Rogers, speaking after the meeting, said: “I am not surprised by the council’s decision.

“It seems clear that local councillors are simply self-serving and do not represent the views of local residents.

“This is because they refuse to take action to cut their own allowances and expenses whilst increasing council tax and making cuts to welfare support for the most vulnerable in the city."

[rebbonk]

Council rejects... Now I wonder why that might be?