NEW DECISION MAKING ARRANGEMENTS AT MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL

You may have already seen the Council's webpage and replied:
www.molevalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=8193

If you have not, I apologize for not posting this much sooner. It seems to have got overlooked in the holiday period and the bad weather. We have, however, kindly been allowed until 4th February to submit observations; you should email leaderormayor@molevalley.gov.uk.

Also this will be discussed at our meeting on Monday, 1st February, at 7.00 pm in the Letherhead Institute.

The position may be summarized thus:

The Council currently operates a Leader and Cabinet Executive, but according to the requirements of the Local Government Public Involvement in Health Act 2007), the Council will be required to change its Executive decision making process from May 2011.

The Council can opt for one of two models:

* Leader and Executive Cabinet

* Directly Elected Mayor and Cabinet

Under both models the Leader/Mayor would hold responsibility for all Executive functions and be elected or appointed for a 4 year term (subject to the end of their term of office). He/she would appoint Councillors to a Cabinet and have the option to delegate decision making powers to the Cabinet as a whole or individual Councillors and Officers. The Council would continue to approve the budget, Council policy and set Council Tax levels.

The key difference is how they are appointed and removed from office.

* The directly elected Mayor would not be a Councillor, but chosen in a separate election and would be elected for a four year term.

* The Leader would be a Councillor, elected in the regular local elections and appointed as Leader by the other Councillors (“the Council”). The Council would retain powers to remove the Leader from office in certain circumstances.

The arrangements for decision making in relation to regulatory functions (e.g. licensing, planning) are not Executive responsibilities and will remain unchanged.

The Council must opt for one of the above models by December 2010, for implementation after the next local elections in May 2011.

Currently the LRA Committee favours the directly elected Mayor model.