Casting Vote For Council Chairs And Mayors Reinstated

The government is proposing to allow local authorities to give the power of a casting vote to a mayor or person presiding at a local authority meeting, Local Government Minister Chris Carter announced today.

"This decision follows deliberations by the Local Government and Environment Select Committee on the Local Government Law Reform Bill (No 3) currently passing through Parliament," Mr Carter said.

"After hearing submissions on the Bill, the select committee decided that limited discretion should be provided to use a casting vote at local authority meetings in certain circumstances. This followed an earlier decision not to include the casting vote in the Local Government Act 2002.

"After considering the committee's latest recommendation, the government has decided that local authorities should have the discretion to provide in their own standing orders for a casting vote in any circumstances where there is an equality of votes," Mr Carter said.

"In making this decision, we have listened to the concerns of local government and the need for decisions to be made by councils within reasonable time and cost limits," Mr Carter said.

The change will be added to the Local Government Law Reform Bill through a supplementary order paper.

ENDS

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