Clackmannanshire Consultation Database

We asked for final comments on the content and wording of a proposed new Scheme to ensure it is clear and fit for purpose.

The provision for more frequent elections would be a distraction from core community council business, but that community councils should still be able to replace members who leave and recruit to fill vacancies within the election cycle as long as safeguards were in place to ensure democratic legitimacy.

We re-worded some of the text for clarity without changing the principle. 

We removed the provision for top-up elections and amended the provision for elections which community councils can request when their numbers drop. 

We added a clause to the provision for co-option to require community councils to  publicise in advance the procedure for co-option as well as the intention to co-opt to replace a member who has left.

We asked for your views on the proposed Scheme and in particular what we felt were the key aspects of

• how people become community councillors
• how community councils involve residents
• how to maintain standards of representation

You said

• community councils should be able to replace quickly members who leave
• community councils should be able to involve residents in a volunteer capacity
• there should be a complaints procedure for community councils and a way of dealing with a community council which is not functioning to the standards expected of a community council

We have proposed

• the addition of a provision for co-opting people to fill vacancies arising in between elections
• no major changes regarding how community councils involve residents, but amendments to the constitution to make it clear that involving people as volunteers is allowed
• research to look at a complaints procedure that can be adopted by all of Clackmannanshire's community councils, but not as a provision in the Scheme at this stage.

The budget consultation attracted a mixed reaction from the public. We received 1250 responses to the online survey.

Seven public meetings were held, we received letters and written representations, held meetings with parent council and groups impacted by the proposals.

Three petitions were also received.