Agenda item

That Council be recommended to agree to launch a consultation with stakeholders on moving to a whole council (all-out) electoral cycle.

[NOTE:  Please note that in accordance with Rule 6.3.34d) of the Council’s Constitution this item is not subject to call-in]

The Executive considered a report setting out a proposal to launch a consultation with stakeholders on moving to a whole council (all-out) electoral cycle.

The Leader of Council reiterated the financial pressures that were facing the Council now and in the future.  These included the Adult Health and Social Care Bill which would cost around £27m, the likelihood of losing the New Homes Bonus of £4m, settling the Negative Schools Grant of £10m as well as other inflationary pressures and cost increases which represented more than £50m of increases. Therefore, as the Council’s finances were likely to be severely stretched there was a need to look at areas where savings could be made in order to protect Council services.

Councillor Halsall advised that one area that was currently being considered was the Council’s electoral cycle i.e moving from the current process which was the election of a third of Councillors each year, apart from the fourth year, to whole Council elections, an election every fourth year for all Councillors.  Moving to whole Council elections could potentially save £4.5m over a four-year cycle.

It was noted that the Boundary Commission was currently undertaking an electoral (boundary) review and as part of this process the Council was required to consider the electoral system it wished to use.  The options were:

• Continue with election by thirds (an election every year apart from the fourth) of one third of the wards. All wards would have to be three councillor wards, which was a change to the current process.
• Whole Council elections (an election every fourth year) for all seats which could be either one councillor, two councillor or three councillor wards reflecting communities or all single councillor wards.

Because the Boundary Commission believed that every resident should have equal access to democracy, they wanted all voters to have the opportunity either to vote every year or every four years.  The current process meant that if you lived in Arborfield you only got to vote once every four years but if you lived in Shinfield you had the ability to vote every year.  Elections by thirds was also very expensive and highly disruptive.

Councillor Halsall confirmed that as a consequence of the Boundary Commission’s electoral review whole Council elections would have to take place in 2024.  He further advised that most Councils had either moved to whole Council elections or were moving to them.  It was noted that MPs were elected for a maximum of five years and PCCs, town and parish councils and mayors were all elected every four years.

As set out in the report Councillor Halsall highlighted that there would need to be a public consultation on whether to change the Council’s electoral cycle and to this end the Executive was being asked to recommend to Council that a consultation take place.  A special Council meeting would be required to be held in the Summer to consider whether to change the Council’s electoral cycle.  It was noted that a two thirds majority at that meeting would be required to make the change.

RECOMMENDATION:  That Council be recommended to agree to launch a consultation with stakeholders on moving to a whole council (all-out) electoral cycle.