Date for Elected Mayor Referendum Announced

Published on: 26 May, 2016
Updated on: 27 May, 2016

The referendum on whether Guildford should have an elected mayor will be on Thursday, October 13.

In a statement, issued by Guildford Borough Council (GBC) this afternoon (May 26), a spokesperson said: “We are required to hold a referendum by 24 October 2016, following our announcement on Monday 23 May that a petition seeking a referendum on whether the council should be run by an elected mayor was valid.

“The referendum to ask local voters if they want the constitutional change to a directly elected mayor will be on Thursday 13 October.”

It was also announced that, as legally required, there will be an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday, July 12 2016. At the meeting councillors will consider proposals for the operation of a directly elected mayor and cabinet form of governance that would be introduced if it is approved at the referendum.

The role of a directly elected mayor is different from the current ceremonial Mayor of Guildford. A directly elected mayor would have wide ranging decision-making powers.

The council will announce further details nearer the time.

The council received the original petition seeking a referendum on 18 May 2015. It was declared invalid because sufficient validated signatures had not been obtained.

The petition organisers then had the opportunity, as the law allows, to submit further petitions, which can then be amalgamated with the original one.

New petitions for amalgamation were submitted to GBC in February 2016, March 2016 and again on April 25 2016. The latest amalgamated petition was found to have more than the minimum 5,184 validated signatures, thus requiring a referendum to be held.

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