Today is your last chance to have a say on proposed far-reaching reforms of local government, which could see a long string of changes, including Pembrokeshire merged with Ceredigion.
The Reforming Local Government: Power to Local People White Paper was launched earlier this month by Welsh Government Public Services Minister Leighton Andrews AM.
He said: “In this White Paper, we set out the terms of a new deal for local government in Wales, one based on a smaller number of stronger councils, which will result in national government in Wales setting a small number of clear national priorities.”
The Government hopes to merge some local authorities, through a second Local Government Bill, to be introduced in autumn 2016.
Other proposals include a reduction in the number of elected members and fixed term limits for councillors, especially in senior positions.
It is also proposed to have a greater number of women and members of ethnic minorities, potentially with co-opted members, on council cabinets.
The White Paper also covers the roles and remuneration of elected members and senior officers.
It proposes the leader of a local authority “should be given a statutory duty to set objectives for each member of the Cabinet and hold them to account each year for their progress; and for these documents to be published”.
It adds: “We also believe the leader should be required to set objectives for the chief executive, on behalf of the authority, assess their performance annually and make a report each year to council.”
Community councils also come in for proposed changes, with a set of “competency tests”; with extra rights and responsibilities for those that pass, while those that don’t should look to join with other community councils.
The competency tests could include a minimum annual budget of £200,000, which covers only a small minority of the community councils, and a democracy test where at least two-thirds of the councillors on a community council have been declared elected at either an ordinary election or a by-election.
A web-based survey, found at wales.gov.uk/consultation, open until tomorrow, April 28, has been designed to encourage the public to participate in the consultation.
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