At tonight’s Town Council Meeting our Councillors have the opportunity to elect a “new” Chair for the 2022 – 2023 year.
Ferret has looked at Hemsworth Town Council’s standing orders with regards to the election of a new Chair.
There seems to have been some confusion, as different rules apply if the current Chair either resigns or is not re-elected in an election year.
This year as we all know, is unfortunately not an election year so the following should apply:
If Mr Jim Kenyon resigns as Chair but not from the Town Council, he will still have an original vote but not a casting vote in the event of a tie.
If he does not resign he will retain an original vote and a casting vote in the event of a tied vote as he is still the Chair until that vote is cast.
- Any Councillor can seek election as Chair regardless of party or non-party status.
- They must be nominated and seconded.
- The majority party does not pick the Chair but their choice usually wins because they vote for their own person nominated and usually have the numbers to ensure success of their nomination.
In plain speak, to ensure Mr Jim Kenyon is replaced by someone who would be acceptable to this community, the Labour Councillors and the decent Independents must agree on:
- One candidate to stand for Chair
- Have the necessary number of Councillors votes to ensure success. If all Councillors attend and vote that is 8.
- If all Councillors do not attend or abstain from voting, then that figure is obviously lower.
It is vital at this stage that those Councillors who have been previously aligned with Kenyon and the Eccles’, relook at their position.
Our community deserves better and hopefully decency will prevail this year, their own reputations are on the line and their destiny as to how they are remembered in the Township they live in, is in their own hands…
Extracts from Hemsworth Town Council standing orders.
6. Ordinary council meetings
b In a year which is not an election year, the annual meeting of a council shall be held on such day in May as the council may direct.
e The first business conducted at the annual meeting of the council shall be the election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman (if any) of the Council.
f The Chairman of the Council, unless he has resigned or becomes disqualified, shall continue in office and preside at the annual meeting until his successor is elected at the next annual meeting of the council.
g The Vice-Chairman of the Council, if any, unless he resigns or becomes disqualified, shall hold office until immediately after the election of the Chairman of the Council at the next annual meeting of the council.
h In an election year, if the current Chairman of the Council has not been re-elected as a member of the council, he shall preside at the meeting until a successor Chairman of the Council has been elected.
The current Chairman of the Council shall not have an original vote in respect of the election of the new Chairman of the Council but must give a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.
i In an election year, if the current Chairman of the Council has been re-elected as a member of the council, he shall preside at the meeting until a new Chairman of the Council has been elected. He may exercise an original vote in respect of the election of the new Chairman of the Council and must give a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.