Bath and North East Somerset residents are preparing to go to the polls for a Referendum on 10th March to decide whether or not the area has an Elected Mayor, in what could be a dramatic shake-up in how our Local Authority is currently run. With the arguments for and against being put forward in debates across the area, this week, The Journal hears from Philip Raby, Chair of the Mayor for B&NES Campaign, and Paul Myers, Campaign Organiser for the Conservative ‘No to a B&NES Mayor’ Campaign. Want to find out more or still undecided after reading this? We have put together an online video interviewing those for and against and more information on how to vote. Search for MNR Journal via youtube or visit: http://ow.ly/YvO4c

YES or NO – How will you vote on 10th March?

A lot has been said and written about what will happen if we had an Elected Mayor for B&NES, most of it by politicians who want to scare voters into saying no. The truth is that it’s not the end of the world as we know it, just one system replacing another. The important thing is that you, the voter, can choose a) which system you prefer and then b) who you would like to be in charge.

The list below explains some of the reasons why we think that a vote for change will be of benefit to you.

1. Because all the politicians are telling you not to, and you prefer to think for yourself. You can make a difference.

2. Because B&NES Council has wasted our money for years and someone needs to do something about it.

3. Because twenty years after it was invented, Bath and North East Somerset still hasn’t learned to live together, and someone needs to make it work.

4. Because otherwise we will become part of Greater Bristol.

5. Because we need to choose who makes the big decisions; then we’ll know who they are, and can get rid of them if we want to. A leader should be elected, not selected.

6. Because there are too many Councillors, too many Consultants and too many highly paid Councilofficials; all costing money.

7. Because Elected Mayors all over the country give strong leadership on transport, jobs and housing, unlike here.

8. Because local politicians follow party orders, rather than thinking for themselves.

9. Because an Elected Mayor won’t show favouritism to any one place. She or he is elected by everyone, so they need to look after everyone.

10. Because it makes sense.

Philip Raby, Chair of the Mayor for B&NES Campaign.

When deciding how to vote in this referendum, residents should ask themselves: ‘What are the likely costs of changing to the Mayoral system, and am I truly convinced that having a B&NES Mayor would be better for my local area than the system we have at the moment?’

Our current system of having a ‘Leader and Cabinet’ may not be perfect – no system is. But we know from years of experience that it works best for our area; it’s less costly to taxpayers, more accountable to communities, and by having a Cabinet made up of Councillors from across the district, it is more representative of the whole B&NES area as well.

In contrast, changing to an Elected B&NES Mayor has a number of downsides.

Firstly, a B&NES Mayor would cost more. Their likely salary would be more than double what the Council Leader receives, and having a Mayor would simply create a needless additional layer of bureaucracy at a time when the Council is having to make significant budget savings.

Secondly, a Mayor would be less accountable. They would have ultimate power to make nearly all decisions across the whole B&NES area, making it easier for them to push through their own pet projects, and harder for local Councillors to get things done for their communities.

Thirdly, the Mayoral system has proved unpopular. The idea has been rejected by voters in the vast majority of referendums held elsewhere in the country, and some areas have disliked the system so much they have even decided to scrap their Mayor and gone back to the current system we have here in B&NES!

Put simply, having a ‘B&NES Mayor’ would be a costly and unnecessary change that comes with no clear benefits, and so we urge residents to vote to keep the ‘Council Leader’ model in the Referendum on 10th March.

Cllr Paul Myers, Campaign Organiser, Conservative ‘No to a B&NES Mayor’ Campaign.