Who knows how town Councils Work?

O'Coonassa

Hello boardsies,

I've not been around for a while I hope everybody is enjoying the summer. I have a bit of a query about things and I'm very much hoping that some kind soul out there who is clued up on d auld politics can perhaps help me.

Like many people I live in a town. Not too large and not too small. Unsurprisingly we have a Council and it is of course composed of the elected representatives of the good townspeople. So far so democratic.

Also in our town we have a Chamber of Commerce. These people are not elected but they do purport to represent a good number of people in the business community. However they do not operate an internally democratic structure. That is to say, what the board thinks, is given as what the business community thinks. The people in business community who are members of the chamber are not actually canvassed for their opinions. And so it can be from time to time that the Chamber can issue edicts and opinions that are not actually aligned to the wishes of the majority of the business community.

Now here is the crunch. It has recently become apparent that the Chamber of Commerce have a veto over decisions made by the Town Council. Try as I might I cannot think that this is normal but I stand to be corrected. If for instance your own local council had reached a majority decision to act in some way, then can your local Chamber of Commerce force them to reverse it. Or does that to you seem like something a bit feudal that shouldn't really be happening in a Republic.

If it is not how local Government should be working, then what at all if anything do you think could be done about it? Could it be possible that there are laws against this type of thing?

Thanks for reading and any input anybody might have.

Kind Regards

O'Coonassa

Mike 1972

O'Coonassa wrote: »

It has recently become apparent that the Chamber of Commerce have a veto over decisions made by the Town Council.

How ?

O'Coonassa

Mike 1972 wrote: »

How ?

Through written communication with one of the council members thanks for asking

Victor

I presume it just means that the politicians listen to what the chamber says (too much). there is no legal basis for such a veto.

Town councils have very little power and relatively small budgets.

O'Coonassa

Deleted User wrote: »

Town councils have very little power and relatively small budgets.

Yes, but you'd at least think that they couldn't be over-ruled by people who weren't elected but if they have agreed to be over ruled by people who weren't elected then what, if anything, can be done about it?

Pride Fighter

O'Coonassa wrote: »

Yes, but you'd at least think that they couldn't be over-ruled by people who weren't elected but if they have agreed to be over ruled by people who weren't elected then what, if anything, can be done about it?

County councils are the exact same. County managers who are unelected wield all the power and can overrule the democratic will of the people.

Victor

Pride Fighter wrote: »

County councils are the exact same. County managers who are unelected wield all the power and can overrule the democratic will of the people.

There is a division of power between the council and the manager. Certain powers are reserved for each.

baalthor

In many smaller towns there would be a big overlap between membership of the chamber of commerce and membership of the town council.

Business people are highly motivated to become members of town councils because businesses pay the rates that (partially) fund the councils.

On one local council near where I live, there was a discussion recently where some of the members stated that the town would be better off without a council, as it was costing them more in rates without any obvious increase in services.

Our man in Havana

Also there are some towns that would benefit from having a town council and don't and smaller towns that have a council and do bugger all.

O'Coonassa

So to summarise this crookedness is entirely normal and there's nothing that can be done about it?

Annasopra

O'Coonassa wrote: »

Through written communication with one of the council members thanks for asking

But that's one council member - how is that a veto? Does the Chamber have influence over a majority of the councillors?

If for instance your own local council had reached a majority decision to act in some way, then can your local Chamber of Commerce force them to reverse it. Or does that to you seem like something a bit feudal that shouldn't really be happening in a Republic.

It depends - The council may be able to decide to reverse it's own decisions - It would depend on the council standing orders and legislation governing councils and what sort of decision this was.

O'Coonassa

Johnnymcg wrote: »

But that's one council member - how is that a veto? Does the Chamber have influence over a majority of the councillors?

Sorry, I'm not being clear enough. The council member in question advised me that the Chamber of Commerce had vetoed plans to pedestrianise a section of the towns main street on a temporary basis on Saturdays over the summer.

Johnnymcg wrote: »

It depends - The council may be able to decide to reverse it's own decisions - It would depend on the council standing orders and legislation governing councils and what sort of decision this was.

As above,

Annasopra

O'Coonassa wrote: »

Sorry, I'm not being clear enough. The council member in question advised me that the Chamber of Commerce had vetoed plans to pedestrianise a section of the towns main street on a temporary basis on Saturdays over the summer.

As above,

Did the council vote on this and then change their mind and have another vote based on lobbying from the chamber of commerce?

Did the chamber of commerce direct (or request) councillors to vote against such a proposal? Was there a vote? Was it a majority vote?

Psychedelic

Chambers of Commerce have absolutely no veto power over decisions made by Councils. They can only try to influence the decisions made by Councils.

In this particular scenario I assume what is happening is that the Council do not wish to go ahead with their pedestrianisation plan without the support of the Chamber. But no way could the Chamber have veto powers over the Council's decision.

danman

I thing there has been a bit of flowery language being used by the councillor in the correspondance.

A little bit of "Oh, I can't do anything, sure the C of C has vetoed the motion. Sure you know what they're like."

I think the particular councillor is trying to give you a populist line to sway the decision away from the council.
Would this particular councillor be a member of the majority party in control of the council?

Bob Z

Yes I can't see how the chamber if commerce could veto anything. Maybe they were opposed to it or tried to influence or lobbied/campaigned against it or threatened not to cooperate(which I think would be illegal)with it but I can't see how they could actually veto it