Election could be delayed 'to avoid wasting £1 million' ahead of council reorganisation
Somerset County Council today voted, after a long and heated debate, to ask to postpone May's planned elections to save £1 million - while plans to shake up the current system are decided.
The county council are proposing a 'One Somerset' change, which would abolish the district councils and have one unitary authority with 15 to 20 new Local Community Networks - saving £18.5 million a year.
The rival 'Stronger Somerset bid' will see plans for a Western Somerset Council and an Eastern Somerset Council - potentially saving £204 million over 10 years.
Opposition leader Lib Dem Jane Lock accused the ruling Conservative Group of 'running scared' or the 'Boris reign of error' by delaying the election - after hearing Somerset County Council could still operate for two years after May's election.
Opposition councillor Liz Leyshon asked why the reorganisation couldn't be delayed rather than the election.
Somerset County Council leader David Fothergill called holding an election while the future of local Government was undecided 'a disservice' and said he did not believe it was 'realistic' to delay the Government decision on which reorganisation option it would support.
A report before Somerset County Council recommended: "Council supports the Leader to make a request to the Secretary of State to defer the scheduled 2021 county council elections until such time as the Secretary of State determines to hold a County Council election as part of the transition towards a new local government structure for Somerset”.
It adds: "Should the Secretary of State decide to implement local government reorganisation, and Parliament approve legislation establishing a new unitary council with elections to the new council in the year it is created, then County Councillors elected in May 2021 would serve for only one or two years, depending on implementation timescales, before the role is abolished.
"Elections in such circumstances risk confusing voters and would involve significant costs (in excess of £1m) that would be hard to justify and could be better used to meet Somerset’s priorities.
"The Secretary of State is expected to make a decision on their preferred proposal between June and July 2021. Implementation will begin at that point, including the necessary legislation (a Structural Change Order being laid before Parliament) to permit the creation of any new local government structure for Somerset."
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