ESTIMATED savings of up to £135,000 would be achieved over a three-year period if Warrington Borough Council switched to having elections only once every four years.
And a majority of people who took part in a consultation exercise run by the council are in favour of making the change.
Fifty nine per cent of respondents favour whole council elections once every four years, 38 per cent favoured the present system of elections by thirds – which means elections three years out of every four.
Three per cent of respondents stated they had no clear preference.
But there were only 89 respondents which, in a borough with an adult population of more than 160,000 suggests that the vast majority of people don’t care one way or the other!
A report on the outcome of the consultation will go to the council’s audit and corporate governance committee on Thursday, March 19 and to a special meeting of the full council on March 30.
Officers have pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of the two electoral systems.
All-out elections would give the council a clear mandate for four years, allowing it to adopt a more strategic long term approach to policy and decision making and spend less time on election campaigns.
They would avoid “election fatigue” and produce results that would be simpler and more easily understood by the electorate. There would be a clear opportunity for the electorate to change the political composition of the council once every four years.
It would be cheaper for the council – and for political parties.
But elections by thirds would avoid the risk of a complete change of councillors, bringing in councillors with no experience. There is a greater likelihood of elections being influenced by local issues.
There is more encouragement for people to get into the habit of voting – and they have to vote for only one person rather than two or three.
Voters would be able tp pass judgement on the council annually, rather than once every four years. Smaller political parties might find it more difficult to fund a whole council election and independents might find it harder to get elected on a strong local issue without an annual poll.
Eighteen-year-olds do not have to wait so long before they can vote if there is annual election.
Whole council elections are more difficult to administer, the count would take longer and by-elections would be more likely to occur.
Cost of holding three annual one third elections is put at £405,000 while the cost of one whole borough election is put at £270,000 taking into account provision for possible by elections at a cost of £10,000 for one by election.
Of the 89 respondents, 60 per cent were individual residents, 24 per cent were councillors, 12 per cent were parish councils and four per cent were organisations.
