New Leadership Arrangements

The law requires the Council to consult the public and decide how it should run its affairs in the future, based on one of two models.  The options are :

• a leader and cabinet / executive; or
• a mayor and cabinet / executive.

 

What's the difference?

A Leader and cabinet is closest to the arrangement the Council operates now.  The Leader would be an elected councillor, as now, appointed by fellow councillors to serve as Leader for four years (he is currently appointed for two years).  The Leader would choose which councillors would serve in the Cabinet (known as the Executive in Fareham).  Currently all councillors are involved in choosing the executive members.  The Council would retain powers to remove the Leader from office, if necessary, during his/her term of office.

A Mayor and cabinet would be an entirely new arrangement for Fareham.  Although the Borough currently has a Mayor, it is largely a ceremonial role, undertaken by one of the councillors for a year.  This new-style Mayor would not be a councillor, but would be elected directly by voters in a separate election.  He or she would serve for four years and would choose the councillors to serve in the Executive.  The Mayor could not be removed from office by the council.

We need your views

Before deciding which option to adopt in Fareham, the Council would welcome your views.  Further details about the options are available.  Please e-mail your comments to democraticservices@fareham.gov.uk or post them to Democratic Services at the Civic Offices, Fareham, PO16 7AZ before 31 October 2010.

Further information

For information on how the Council currently operates please go to meetings and decisions or to who's who.