Vote to abolish council (From South Wales Guardian)

Vote to abolish council

9:18am Wednesday 27th September 2006 in News By Steve Adams

A former Betws community councillor has stepped up his bid to have the council abolished.

Graham Vaughan resigned from the council this summer, after two-and-a-half years, claiming the body was undemocratic.

He also said the council was failing in its duty to improve life in the village.

Mr Vaughan, of Parc Bwtrimawr, has been compiling a petition demanding a referendum on the future of the council and is now due to call a public meeting when a vote of no confidence can be put forward.

He has been contacting some 400 households in the village in a bid to get residents to back the move.

"The petition is going very, very well," said Mr Vaughan.

"I have now written to the community council asking for permission to attend their next meeting to present them with my petition and I would then like to hold a public meeting when a vote to abolish the council can be held.

"I want the public to decide through a vote whether they want to keep or abolish the council."

Mr Vaughan has described the council as a waste of time and money.

"There is no forward planning and too much of the money allocated to the council is going outside the village.

"It is a talking shop and the issues facing the community are not being addressed.

"The people on the council need to get their priorities straight."

Mr Vaughan's plans for the council's abolition face stiff legal obstacles if they are to prove successful.

According to the Local Government Act 1972, he must persuade at least 300 members of the Betws electorate to attend his meeting for any vote to be valid.

He will then need at least half of the residents presents to vote in favour of the proposition for the move to be legal.