PAPER B


 

Moved by Cllr Sutton at Annual Council

 

This Council believes that the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council should be above party politics and that the Chairmanship should rotate between members of different political groups in a manner which reflects both the length of time since that group provided the Chairman AND the number of seats the group has held during that period.  In order to achieve this aim the following amendment should be made to the Constitution:

 

Delete paragraph 1 of Article 5 and replace with:

 

1.                  Election, Role and Function of the Chairman

 

The Chairman and Vice Chairman will be elected by the full Council annually and, unless the full Council expressly decides to the contrary, the following protocol will apply :

 

(a)              The Vice Chairman will not be a member of the same political group for two consecutive terms.

 

(b)              The Vice Chairmanship will rotate between members belonging to party groups in accordance with a calculation of the total number of seats held by each group in all of the municipal years since the Chairman was last a member of that group. A member from the group with the highest number will prevail.

 

(c)               The Vice Chairman for the preceding year will not be opposed should they be able to and choose to stand for Chairman.

 

(d)              For these purposes only, Independent Members will be regarded as forming a single group and group membership will be taken as at the annual council meeting in each year.

 

(e)              Where the calculation in paragraph 2 results in equal numbers a member of the group which has not provided the Vice Chairman for the longest period shall prevail.

 

2.                  The Chairman and in his/her absence the Vice Chairman, will have the following responsibilities :

 

(a)              to impartially uphold and promote the purposes of the Constitution, and after receiving advice, to interpret the Constitution when necessary;

 

(b)              to impartially preside over meetings of the full Council so that its business can be carried out efficiently and with regard to the rights of all Councillors and the interests of the community;

 

(c)               to ensure that the full Council meeting is a forum for the debate of matters of concern to the local community and the place at which members who are not on the Executive are able to hold the Executive to account;

 

(d)              to promote public involvement in the Council’s activities;

 

(e)              to be the conscience of the Council;

 

(f)                 to be responsible for the Council’s civic affairs and attend such civic and ceremonial functions as the Council and he/she determines appropriate.