Flintshire debates how often councillors can try to remove the council leader
Flintshire councillors are debating whether to make it easier to oust the council leader, as part of a package of democratic reforms going before a committee this afternoon.
The Constitution and Democratic Services Committee meets remotely today at 3.30pm to vote on proposed changes to the council’s rulebook, several of which were deferred from a special meeting in January.
Under the current rules, a motion to remove the leader can only be brought once in any rolling 12-month period.
Two options are on the table today: cutting that window to six months, or allowing a second attempt within six months if at least 66% of the council’s 70 members support it.
Any removal motion already requires the signatures of 25% of councillors before it can even be tabled.
The committee will also consider a proposal to cap Notices of Motion at five per meeting, with any overflow carried forward to the next.
Opposition councillors use Notices of Motion to raise issues and apply political pressure on the administration outside of formal agenda items.
Further proposals would limit questions at Full Council to ten per meeting at three minutes each, and extend speaking rights in budget debates.
The cabinet member responsible for the budget would get 15 minutes to introduce the administration’s proposals, with the leader of the largest opposition group given equal time to respond.
None of today’s decisions are final. Any changes agreed by the committee still require ratification at a Full Council meeting before they take effect.
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