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'It's time you had change' - Elected mayor's message to voters
AN elected mayor who sent shock waves through local government has urged Calderdale voters to demand change.
Peter Davies now runs Doncaster Council on a mandate to bring about huge financial savings and is one of 11 elected mayors in the country.
He was asked to speak to an invited audience at a meeting in Rastrick.
All councils have to agree a new leadership model by the end of the year and Calderdale councillors want to appoint a leader themselves for a four-year term.
An alternative would be to allow the public to vote for an elected mayor to run the authority as happened in Doncaster earlier this year.
Mr Davies told the meeting publicly-elected leaders were the way forward and led to quicker decision making without party politics.
Although he stood as an English Democrat he said giving the people what they wanted had to be the priority – or they would vote elected mayors out of office.
"That is the real advantage," he said.
"I have no support on Doncaster Council and this is the way forward – there is no 'horse-trading'," he said.
His manifesto saw him immediately slash his salary from 73,000 to 30,000 and refuse expenses; save 67,000 by closing his council's propaganda newspaper; refusing a mayoral car; and closing translation services.
He has also vowed to reduce anti-social behaviour and intends saving huge amounts of money by slashing the number of councillors, cutting council expenditure, targeting cost-savings among the workforce, and reducing council tax.
"I'm doing what the public want," he said.
"Policitians are doing the opposite."
Mr Davies said high salaries were no guarantee of success and cited the huge bonuses paid to bankers as an example.
Calderdale Council is consulting with the public about having an elected mayor but in the absence of any public vote Mr Davies said it was up to the public to force the issue and support a petition demanding a vote.
Halifax solicitor Chris Haddock, who was incensed at the council's handling of the refuse contract, is trying to collect 7,000 signatures which would trigger a public vote to choose somone to lead the authority.
Details are on Facebook under elected mayor@edison.co.uk
A Courier poll in August had 85 per cent of people in favour.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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