THE vital vote on whether West Devon should have an elected mayor kicks off today with more than 38,000 ballot papers being sent out to residents.
Poll organisers are urging voters to send back their ballot papers as soon as possible — the poll will be conducted by the Electoral Reform Service.
The ballot paper pack being sent to residents will include clear instructions on how to record a vote, a ballot paper, declaration of identity, and envelope for the completed ballot paper and a reply-paid envelope addressed to the Electoral Reform Service.
Polling day is Thursday, January 31 — but there will be no polling stations. Voters should post their ballot papers to reach the Electoral Reform Service in London by no later than 9pm on January 31.
West Devon is one of just six areas throughout England currently taking part in a referendum on whether to have a directly elected mayor.
In West Devon, campaigning on the issue is gathering steam: borough Conservatives, who are opposed to an elected mayor, are preparing to leaflet major towns and villages. And Liberal Democrat branch members in Tavistock and Okehampton are aiming to deliver 15,000 leaflets calling on residents to vote no to an elected mayor.
But the Liberal Democrats point out that their party has no national policy on the issue and that councillors and branches are free to advocate any solution.
In West Devon, there are differing views between Liberal Democrats on the borough council. While there are those opposed to a directly elected mayor, some, notably group leader Cllr Nicholas Waterhouse and Cllr Noel Cartwright, are campaigning for a yes vote.
Conservatives on the borough council meanwhile are unanimous in opposition to the idea of a directly elected mayor. They favour the alternative of a streamlined committee system.
In this, the second of its special features on the mayoral referendum, the Times asked four West Devon councillors to state the case for or against a directly elected mayor.
Conservative Group leader Cllr Dick Eberlie and Liberal Democrat Cllr David Stapleton are firmly in the 'No' camp while Independent Cllr Pat Warne and Liberal Democrat Cllr Nicholas Waterhouse say why they believe a directly elected mayor will be best for West Devon.
Nicholas Waterhouse:
MANY councillors and officers individually do first class work for us at the borough; the council itself is a basket case. It doesn't work.
It creaks with loans and white elephants handed down by the old 'Independent' Councils. It has £3m of borrowing, much of it at over 11 per cent, and a huge debt to the Pension Fund. 10 per cent of the budget is spent on subsidies to swimmers. It is still, after 30 years, spreadeagled between two offices 30 miles apart, so that many working days a year are spent on the A386.
In every year but one of the last six, the annual increase in Council Tax has been many times inflation; it will be again this year.
There is no democratic control, since few members understand the system, and those that do depend on the information fed to them by officers, which is often incomplete and sometimes misleading.
The officers run the council. Elected members can have no effective leadership or common purpose while the largest group of councillors are the (largely inert) Independents. Even if there was leadership, it would be ineffective through lack of information and expertise.
The council has one accountant, no lawyers, and little experience to help it run a £6 million business. It is easily manipulated; it can't afford the research assistants with which bigger councils help their elected members to test the information and advice they receive. West Devon councillors are under-qualified part-timers working in the dark.
And there is the heart of the matter. West Devon missed the bus during local government reorganisation. It was probably already too small to be viable. Since then Government and society generally have piled on the overheads. We just don't have enough Council Tax payers to share the load.
So what will a mayor do?
He (I'll say it once only, or she!) will come without the vested interests of the present council and officers, and can tackle problems they ignore or fudge.
He will bring a full-time democratic input and clear democratic accountability to the stream of day to day decisions which are made by officers, and which cannot wait for a committee meeting in two month's time.
Elected by thousands of voters for the whole borough he will be able to level the playing field with the officers. Some councillors are backed by less than 250 votes. Some are rarely seen.
He will work within the council's policies and they must approve the budget. He will lead a team of up to nine of the elected councillors in his 'cabinet'.
That's about as many councillors as are really active and committed to council work now, but they will be able to get things done, which mired in the committee maze they can't.
And the alternative? Look at the published diagrams. Required to design a 'streamlined' committee system councillors added an extra committee to the ones they've got, plus two more imposed by Government.
I rest my case!
Dick Eberlie: WE are all invited this week to vote for or against an Executive Mayor taking charge of West Devon Borough Council. We have a clear choice.
Our vote could have big long-term effects on the way the council does its job. I warmly recommend all your readers to use their vote.
The question has been put to me recently; what is the alternative to this Executive Mayor? 'If I vote "yes",' people say to me; 'I've a rough idea that I'll get a Ken Livingstone in West Devon, but if I vote "no", what am I voting for?' Government rules prevent the council from explaining the choice except in the blandest terms, so here is my answer.
A 'no' vote will be FOR greater accountability, quicker decisions and hopefully better ones in streamlined committees.
More important, a 'no' vote will be FOR keeping the existing balance of opinion and party groups on the council.
The law requires committees to mirror the make-up of the council as put in by the electorate in May 1999, that is 13 Independents, nine Conservatives and eight Liberal Democrats.
So the councillors have to work together to find a consensus that reflects the communities they represent, and this discipline would continue in the streamlined committees — a system that seems to suit the large, sparsely-populated rural area with our scatttered market towns that is West Devon.
A 'yes' vote, by contrast, would be FOR an Executive Mayor who would put his or her councillor supporters on to the 'Executive' and would give that small body the power to take decisions on running the council's services within a broad remit set down by the council as a whole.
Our country district is not the right place for an Executive Mayor. Over our council no single group has overall control, so an Executive Mayor would put at risk the existing careful balance, enabling a few picked members to operate the levers of local power. It depends who is in charge of course but I am not sure this system could ever be in the best interests of the independent-minded people of West Devon.
Another effect of a 'yes' vote is likely to be to downgrade West Devon's ceremonial mayor.
The law at present actually seems to oblige West Devon to have two mayors: one to chair meetings impartially, the other to run the show politically — and both to represent the borough in public.
I cannot see this arrangement continuing happily for long; I can't help feeling the more powerful of the two — the politician — would seek to diminish the other's traditional role over time; and that would be a sad outcome of our vote.
I urge West Devon voters to vote 'no' and thus vote FOR improved administration run with the existing political balance. But whatever their views, I urge West Devon voters to use their votes.
Not a very exciting affair but there needs to be a clear decision and solid mandate for the future.
Pat Warne: THE Government has insisted on change. Last year, West Devon's electors were informed of this and consulted by mailshot. They were asked which system they would prefer.
Out of four choices more than 60 per cent of respondents sought options one, two or three which are all radical changes, each requiring, variously, a leader and executive.
The council now has to test that, as one option, against a reorganisation of our existing system. With any change there will be anxiety and risk — such is life. But, having an elected mayor will surely bring better leadership and accountability to the council. Having an executive will bring a body of up to nine dedicated elected members, drawn from the present councillors, to work on the main issues. It is up to the councillors to set the procedures for the future based on government guidelines.
A Leader, together with executive, could unite the 30 councillors and bring priority and order to the needs and desires of each of the dispersed communities we represent.
A Leader could bring strength to the council as a representative authority in relation to the county, especially the over zealous Highways activities that have plagued us.
A Leader could work with the staff (over 100) and co-operate with councillors and, according to the guidelines from Government, would not become a dictator, which some fear.
There is as much concern that neither should full-time employed staff dictate their will over elected members. The people will do the interviews for the job through the campaign and ensuing vote.
An elected mayor should be a strong voice for the people. Then we might be a stronger authority to challenge or implement the ever-changing schemes coming from Government and their unelected quangos.
Such a candidate will, ideally, care for the people and environment first and foremost and not be driven only by political will. It is an exciting and challenging opportunity to take a fresh approach to serving the people of West Devon.
I prefer to use the title of the Mayor as the Elected Executive Mayor — not to be confused with the ceremonial mayor who attends events and chairs the full council. This role will continue initially, perhaps with the title Portreeve.
The Executive Mayor, would, in my view, be similar to the chairman of a company who works with an executive or directors, and is responsible to the shareholders. Council taxpayers are, perhaps, the shareholders. The elected mayor will cost more initially, but there will be savings in bureaucracy.
Perhaps those people who may be disenchanted with government at any level would welcome this opportunity to change the system locally.
Under the present system, the buck is passed around forever but a mayor and executive would have to take such responsibility.
If you vote 'no' to the mayoral option then do not be surprised if the 'new streamlined system' looks very much like the old, with a makeover.
I believe we need change. We need leadership, direction and accountability at local level now and I will vote for an elected paid Executive Mayor for West Devon.
David Stapleton: WE already have a borough mayor, and whatever the outcome of the referendum, this traditional post will be retained. So why do we need a costly referendum?
Our existing mayor is selected annually by borough councillors to carry out mainly ceremonial duties on behalf of West Devon Borough. The mayor can be drawn from different parts of the borough each year. This is a valuable, widely supported role.
The mayor proposed in the referendum is quite different. He or she would have considerable personal executive powers over a whole range of issues and decisions affecting the borough. There would be some checks and balances, but not many.
This mayor could select between two and ten buddies on the council as her or his 'cabinet' to make all the important decisions, and other councillors would have few means to constrain their actions.
One person rule might sound efficient, but in reality it opens the door to arrogance, a cult of personality, contempt for the views of others, corruption, and a tendency towards dictatorship. What kind of candidates might put themselves forward for such a post?
I believe that effective leadership in a democracy involves assimilating the views of as many people as possible to arrive at a consensus, not in forcing through the views of the so-called 'strong' few.
There are particular problems with executive mayors in large, socially diverse rural areas such as West Devon.
What would a mayor living in Tavistock, say, know about problems affecting Hatherleigh, and conversely would a mayor living in Hatherleigh or any other part of our borough really understand or give priority to the problems and future aspirations of people in Tavistock?
This 'Mayoral Referendum' has been foisted upon us by the Government. Most of us on the council don't want it, not least because of the expense involved, perhaps £600,000 over five years. This has to be paid for by borough council-tax payers. Voting for an executive mayor would be like signing a blank cheque!
Opposition to an executive mayor is not restricted to councillors.
Ordinary rank and file members in Liberal Democrat branches in the borough have decided against the proposal. But this is not a party political issue.
Leading Conservatives in the borough are also opposed to an executive mayor, though no doubt all parties have their mavericks with contrary views.
I question whether initiating a mayoral election campaign stretching from February to May 2002 is really the right priority for a borough recovering from the effects of foot and mouth disease. We had elections in 2001, and there will be borough and town council elections in 2003. Do the public really want more elections in 2002?
In my view, the notion of an Executive Mayor for the whole of West Devon is a dangerous nonsense. Yet, it might happen if the public don't exercise their referendum vote.
I strongly urge everyone to send in their vote with a resounding 'NO' to the question on the ballot paper.