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Politicians controlling local councils

  • 29-07-2010 04:28AM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,587 ✭✭✭


    You often read about political partys with majority controlling local councils and always giving themselves jobs a mayor etc. But are they actually wrong The majority party always gets to be leaders so why should be different on local level. First of all don't get me wrong i am not defending this or have my mind made up. its just something i was wondering about and wanted to hear other opinions on it


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,588 ✭✭✭femur61


    I know in Kilkenny there was a deal that someone from Labour or Fine Gael will always be mayor. Last year there was a someone from the green party, but that was an anomaly.

    People should be able to vote who they want to represnt them.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,819 ✭✭✭dan_d


    System should be as in France.

    Politicians are in government.Towns are ruled by mayors and a council, voted for by the people of the town. There is a budget every year, and the mayor has to consult the people as to any improvements he wants to make etc. There's a town hall in every town and anyone can go in. Local planning decisions are made in the town hall.

    Politicians should not have anything to do with local governments. It obviously doesn't work.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,587 ✭✭✭Bob Z


    dan_d wrote: »
    System should be as in France.

    Politicians are in government.Towns are ruled by mayors and a council, voted for by the people of the town. There is a budget every year, and the mayor has to consult the people as to any improvements he wants to make etc. There's a town hall in every town and anyone can go in. Local planning decisions are made in the town hall

    what fo you anyone can go in? You mean. They object to laws or bylaws they disagree with?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,089 ✭✭✭✭P. Breathnach


    dan_d wrote: »
    System should be as in France.

    Politicians are in government.Towns are ruled by mayors and a council, voted for by the people of the town. There is a budget every year, and the mayor has to consult the people as to any improvements he wants to make etc. There's a town hall in every town and anyone can go in. Local planning decisions are made in the town hall.

    Politicians should not have anything to do with local governments. It obviously doesn't work.

    The mayors and their lists of supporters are voted in by the local electorate. The are politicians. Sometimes a list is a pre-election coalition.

    The French don't have local referendums or town meetings. The local council decides matters with its range of competence. There are several layers of local government. It's quite different from our system.

    The difference that impresses me most is that the French people seem more interested in local government, and that interest is not confined to the individual citizen's interests.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,026 ✭✭✭Lockstep


    Bob Z wrote: »
    You often read about political partys with majority controlling local councils and always giving themselves jobs a mayor etc. But are they actually wrong The majority party always gets to be leaders so why should be different on local level. First of all don't get me wrong i am not defending this or have my mind made up. its just something i was wondering about and wanted to hear other opinions on it

    Well, coalitions are the norm. For example, in Galway City Council, Labour are the biggest party (5 out of 15) with Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the ex-PDs having 3 seats each. There's another left wing councillor who backs Labour.
    Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the ex-PDs all banded together to keep Labour out.

    Nothing wrong with it really, and the mayor has little enough power beyond ceremony so I'm ok with it.


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