Options for Executive Arrangements
Summary
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 ("The Act") requires local authorities including NHDC to operate one of two models of executive arrangements. The Council needs to decide by 31st December 2010 if it will be led by:
- A "new style" Leader and Cabinet model; or
- A directly elected Mayor and Cabinet model
These new executive arrangements will come into force in May 2011 after the next local elections.
Current Arrangements
NHDC’s Leader is currently elected at each Annual Council meeting by full Council (49 Councillors). Council then also appoints the Deputy Leader and Cabinet members. The Council also allocates responsibility for the discharge of executive functions.
Options for future arrangements:
The Council must reconsider how decision making by the Executive will operate from May 2011. The Act requires the Council to choose between two alternative options for how decision making should operate:
a) New Leader and Cabinet Model
- The Council would appoint the Leader for a four year term or until the Leader’s ordinary term of office as a Councillor expires
- The Leader would appoint a Deputy Leader and Cabinet members
- The Leader would allocate responsibility for discharging executive functions to the Cabinet, a Committee of the Cabinet, individual members of the Cabinet or Council Officers.
b) Directly elected Mayor and Cabinet
- The Council would hold an election for a Mayor who would hold office for a term of four years.
- The Mayor would appoint his/her own Cabinet and appoint a Deputy Mayor who would also serve a four year term.
- The Mayor would be able to discharge executive functions or allocate them e.g. to the Cabinet, to an individual Cabinet Member, to a committee of the Cabinet or to a Council Officer.
- As the Mayor in this model is directly elected, there would be no provision for their removal during the four year term of office.
Timetable for decision
At the last meeting of full Council on 11 November 2010, the ‘new style’ Leader and Cabinet model was expressed as the preferred option by Councillors. This option is closest to the way the Council operates now.
Members of the public are now invited to express their view on the proposed options.
Following this, a report, including an overview of comments from members of the public will be presented to a special Council meeting on Tuesday 14 December 2010, where a final decision will be made. The changes will be implemented after the next local elections in May 2011.
Please send any comments on the options for NHDC’s Executive Arrangements to:
Katie White
Corporate Legal Manager and Monitoring Officer
North Hertfordshire District Council
By email: katie.white@north-herts.gov.uk 
By post: Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City, Herts, SG6 3JF
Closing date for comments to be received by Friday 3rd December 2010.
