Radical ideas to cut the number of councillors and reduce the number of local elections will be put out for public debate.
Calderdale Council has put its budget proposal forward for public debate which covers the next two years.
But this summer the authority will launch a major consultation ahead of budget setting for 2017/18 onwards and ideas favoured by the Conservative administration include an idea to reduce the number of councillors and hold election every four years.
Calderdale couldn’t rule on the two ideas and would need to ask the Boundary Commission for England to review it if the idea gains public support.
Clr Baines explained why he thinks fewer councillors may be a good idea: “We’ve always said we want to consider a reduction in the number of councillors.
“In Calderdale we have 8,000-9,000 constituents per ward, in Kirklees there is 12,000-13,000. In Leeds there’s 17,000 in some wards. It’s something the general public can make their own minds up on how they’ve vote on this idea.
“Another thing we could do is look at, and consider, going to vote in council elections every four years rather than in thirds, which would save £500,000.”
“There would be some downsides as people may not hear from their councillor for three years.
“It would have to be done by the Boundary Commission if it is something the people of Calderdale want us to embark on.”
One idea would be to reduce the number of wards from 17 to 12, which would reduce councillors from 51 to 36.
Among the future consultation will be a look at the council’s assets, but library services remain a priority for Clr Baines and they’ll look at how the service can be retrained in a ‘central hub’ in towns and villages.
