Local Government Reform - Consultation on Policy Proposals

Question 7:
Do you support the proposal that the Department specifies
the method for applying each of the available systems?
3.13. The key positions to which the process for the sharing of power and
responsibility will apply will include:
• mayor / council chair;
• deputy mayor / council vice-chair;
• committee chairs;
• committee vice-chairs; and
• positions on a cabinet-style executive (where that model of
decision-making is adopted).
3.14. The Department does not propose to specify that the cabinet-style
model should require the inclusion of elected members from each of
the political parties represented on the council. It will be a matter for
a political party to determine whether it wishes to participate in such
a committee or select other positions of responsibility on the council.
3.15. The use of divisor methods, such as D’Hondt and Saint-Lague, for
allocating positions would potentially favour bigger political parties
within a council, if selection is applied in each year of the council.
To minimise this potential, the Department proposes that the agreed
method will be applied to all positions of responsibility within a
council (including nominations to external bodies) over its full fouryear
term. A list of the key positions covering each year for the full
council term of office will be used to allocate all positions whenever
the council is first established.
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