Issue - meetings

The Committee considered a report of the Democratic Services Manager to enable the Committee to consider a change to the current arrangements for presenting Proportional Representation (PR) calculations to Council and to approve some necessary changes to the wording in Part 6, Section 3 of the Councils Constitution relating to PR. The report had been submitted as the result of a request at the September Council meeting when a recalculation report had been submitted because a Councillor had resigned. Members had asked whether a recalculation could wait until after the by-election.

The Democratic Services Manager explained the current arrangements for triggering a recalculation, which were before and after a by-election, and how the Constitution could be amended to make it clear that a recalculation would only be undertaken after a by-election, not at the point of a vacancy occurring.  Members then asked questions which the Democratic Services Manager responded to.

It was proposed by Councillor John Reynolds and seconded by Councillor Terrie Metcalfe:

“That the Constitution be amended as suggested in paragraph 3.3 of the report, with effect from 14 December 2016”

Upon being put to the vote, 6 Members voted in favour of the proposition, with 1 abstention, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposal to be carried.

It was then proposed by Councillor Joan Jackson and seconded by Councillor John Reynolds:

“That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make the necessary amendments to Part 6, Section 3 of the Council’s Constitution as a result of the first recommendation above, and to make the other amendments noted in Paragraph 4 of the report.”

Upon being put to the vote, Members voted unanimously in favour of the proposition, whereupon the Chairman declared the proposal to be carried.

Resolved:

(1)  That the Constitution be amended as suggested in paragraph 3.3 of the report, with effect from 14 December 2016.

(2)  That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make the necessary amendments to Part 6, Section 3 of the Council’s Constitution as a result of the first recommendation above, and to make the other amendments noted in Paragraph 4 of the report.