Agenda item

(Report by the Chief Executive)

The Chief Executive presented a report seeking consideration of not holding an Annual General Meeting in the municipal year 2020/21 in accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.

The report stated that the Regulations applied to local authority meetings that were required to be held, or held, before 7 May 20201, and drafted to enable local authorities to properly function during the coronavirus crisis.

The Local Government Act 1972 required local authorities to hold their AGM’s in either March, April or May of each year.  Part 6 of the Regulations enabled authorities to dis-apply that requirement which meant that the Council had no obligation to hold an AGM until May 2021.

It was not considered feasible, or entirely fair to the incoming Mayor, to hold the AGM remotely as it was a ceremonial meeting involving a number of persons required to be in close contact.

Similarly, holding the meeting date in abeyance until the crisis was over was not considered to be an ideal arrangement as the incoming Mayor’s year of office would be considerably shorter than expected and, due to Covvid-19 restrictions, it was unlikely that he would be able to undertake the expected range of duties and attendance at events.

The incoming Mayor had confirmed his agreement to defer his Mayoralty for one year and the current Mayor’s appointment would continue until May 2021.

The report also proposed to review the appointments of Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and constitution of committees in September 2020.

It was proposed by Councillor Paul Skinner, and seconded by Councillor Nigel Welton

1.    That the Council determines not to hold the Annual General Meeting in the municipal year 202/21 and for the Mayor to continue in office until the AGM May 2021.

2.    That all current appointments of Chairmen and constitution of Committees be reviewed in September 2020.

Members expressed sympathy for the existing Mayor and the Mayor Elect for the interruption of their tenure of office. However, there was a difference of opinion as to whether the AGM should be delayed until May 2021.

There was a view that there was no reason to defer the AGM and that it should be held in September, at the same time that the current appointments of Chairmen and constitution of committees were to be reviewed. Other larger authorities had managed to continue to hold their AGMs as normal and the technology to hold meetings virtually was working well.

However, there was another view that a virtual meeting would not be appropriate to the dignity of the installation of the new Mayor, who would then have a short term of office, and that it would be both safer and fairer to delay the AGM until May 2021.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Anne Dorrian and seconded by Councillor Neill Hastie, that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor redirect the Mayoral Allowances for 2020/21 to the Mayor’s nominated charities.

However, it was explained that this was not an amendment pursuant to paragraph 17.6 of the Rules of Procedure as set out in the Constitution. 

An amendment was moved by Councillor Anne Dorrian and seconded by Councillor Neill Hastie:-

1.    That the Council determines not to hold the Annual General Meeting in the municipal year 202/21 and for the Mayor to continue in office until the AGM May2021, and that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor redirect their Mayoral Allowances for 2020/21 to the Mayor’s nominated charities.

2. That all current appointments of Chairmen and constitution of Committees be reviewed in September 2020.

However, the Mayor then explained that the unspent money from the 2019/20 Mayoral budget had been returned to the Council’s funds and the same would happen in the current year.

The proposer and seconder then withdrew the amendment, though it was requested that unspent monies be diverted to the Mayor’s charity instead of the Council’s funds in future.

The substantive motion was then put to the vote and