To consider the report of the Corporate Director, Governance and Monitoring Officer on a number of options relating to the Council’s Governance Arrangements. This includes options to hold a referendum on the Council’s Governance Model.

The Council considered the report of the Corporate Director, Governance and Monitoring Officer on a number of options relating to the Council’s Governance Arrangements. This includes options to hold a referendum on the Council’s Governance Model.

During the debate, Councillor Andrew Wood moved and Councillor Peter Golds seconded the following alternative recommendations to the report:

This Council resolves:

•       To agree to the principle of a referendum in 2021 or 2022 but not rush into a fixed choice today without due process, we can learn from what other Councils have done to guide us;

•       That if there is not enough time for a full debate tonight that we hold a dedicated Council meeting on this subject only in the coming month;

•       That we ask for a working group to form with the help of the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny which will report back to the next Council meeting on the 20^th January with more detail on the choices available to us, timings and how we can make the decision;

•       That no referendum be held until it is clear;

o   How each option will work in practise, who will hold responsibility & power?

o   What happens within 28 days of a vote for each option?

o   How and by whom the final two referendum choices are chosen and that this is done in public.

•       That we ask the Head of Electoral Services what options exist to reduce the cost of a referendum later in 2021 by voting on a Saturday, using publicly owned facilities, counting delayed until a working day etc and to also report back to us on the 20^th January;

•       That we also consider a May 2022 referendum so that Mayoral candidates can make clear their views, and that voters can then decide whether to keep the Mayoral system or switch to an alternative model;

•       That a referendum late in 2021 or 2022 would:

o   Allow time to formulate the referendum options in public;

o   Reduce the impact of COVID on polling stations;

o   Allow the referendum to be conducted in a neutral manner as would then be clear that the current Mayor continues in post until the May 2022 elections.

•       That we engage the wider public before making any decision and that decisions are made with a full set of publicly available information after a detailed debate.

During the debate, Mayor John Biggs moved and Councillor Abdul Mukit MBE seconded the following recommendations from the report.

That the Council agrees to:

·       Recommendation 2 - To hold a referendum on the Council’s governance arrangements.

·       Recommendation 3 - That the Council selects as the alternative model, to the Mayor and Cabinet Model, the Leader and Cabinet Model of Executive.

·       Recommendation 4 - To hold the referendum on Thursday 6 May 2021

Councillor Andrew Wood’s amendment was put to the vote and was defeated.

The recommendations in the report, including those proposed by Mayor John Biggs were put to the vote and were agreed.

RESOLVED

That the Council