Mayoral Petition Validated – Referendum Will Be Held

Published on: 23 May, 2016
Updated on: 23 May, 2016

A petition seeking a referendum on whether Guildford should have an elected mayor has been validated, Guildford Borough Council announced this afternoon (May 23)

The number of valid signatures, 5,184, representing 5% cent of the registered electorate in Guildford borough, has been reached and a referendum will be by October 25.

A council statements reads: “A petition has been received by the council and amalgamated with earlier petitions (dated 18 May 2015, 11 February, 10 March, 31 March and 25 April 2016) which sought the same constitutional change (as required by regulation 8).

“This amalgamated petition has been determined to be a valid petition. Accordingly a valid petition has been received.

“The reason for that determination is that to be valid such a petition must have 5,184 signatures (being 5% of the local government electors for the council’s area and known as the verification number) which comply with the formality and validity requirements of the regulations.

“There were 5,269 such signatures and the Amalgamated Petition is therefore valid pursuant to Regulation 9(1) (a).

“The constitutional change sought by the Amalgamated Petition is that the council should be run in a different way by a mayor who is elected by voters for the area which the council serves.

“The amalgamated petition date (i.e. the date of the valid petition) was 25 April 2016.

“The amalgamated petition is available at the council’s principal office at Millmead for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable times and free of charge.

“A referendum will be held within six months of 25 April 2016.”

Responses to Mayoral Petition Validated – Referendum Will Be Held

Mary Bedforth Reply

May 23, 2016 at 4:22 pm

Did someone say before that this nonsense will cost us circa £150k?

The electorate in Torbay decided to have an elected mayor in 2005 by a majority 55.2% to 44.8%

11 years later a smaller number of them had changed their minds and reverted to a leader and cabinet system by a majority of 62.5% to 37.5%

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Torbay
Valerie Thompson Reply

May 23, 2016 at 4:23 pm

What a waste of time, effort and money.
Jim Allen Reply

May 23, 2016 at 5:16 pm

Oh dear.
Pauline Surrey Reply

May 23, 2016 at 11:17 pm

God save us from all these daft votes.
Fiona White Reply

May 24, 2016 at 8:29 am

It is a shame that we have this distraction at the time when all the energies of the council and residents in Guildford should be concentrating on making sure that the draft Local Plan is debated and refined so that the final version is absolutely right for the borough.

The only plus is that at least it will get it out of the way.

Fiona White is the Lib Dem county councillor for Guildford West
Jane Milton Reply

May 24, 2016 at 4:21 pm

I was asked and refused to sign this petition. I told the nice young lady that I thought it was a complete waste of money. Her response was “Oh no it won’t cost you anything, the council will pay for it”.

That says it all really. I did explain to the young innocent that the council pays with our money. She seemed surprised at that.
Russell Morris Reply

May 25, 2016 at 6:32 am

How much will this mayoral referendum cost us? On the basis of figures I’ve seen, it will work out at more than £28 for each petitioner.

Can I be assured that each one of these 5,184 people will donate that sum to recoup the wasted cost when their ridiculous vote is lost?