Reform at last

Labour's Cllr Keith Martin has warmly welcomed the proposals published in the Government's Green Paper on Local Government Reform.  Cllr Martin who is listed in the paper as a contributor to the submission process says Minister John Gormley aims to give power back to the country's 1,500 councillors, who lost their role in relation to controversial facilities such as incinerators "as they would not toe the line with central government policy."

 

Cllr Martin says "Its is a great shot in the arm for councillors all over the country to see such plans at last.  Local Government Reform has been promised for decades but at last we are seeing the beginning of real change.

 

"In my opinion these reforms do not go far enough but they are a start.  It is excellent that there will be a scaling back of the powers of officials and a return of power to councillors but more should have been done in this area.

 

"I warmly welcome the introduction of spending limits at local level.  Spending limits insure a level playing field for candidates and often more established candidates and those backed by business interests have enjoyed tremendous resources in election campaigns.  Spending limits mean an end to that and it is a great step forward for local democracy."

 

According to Cllr Keith Martin it is inevitable that Westport Town Council will be headed by a directly-elected Mayor within the next five to ten years following reforms announced by Minister for the Environment John Gormley.

 

The reforms pave the way for a directly elected mayor for County Mayo under the Green Paper's proposal that all cities and counties should ultimately have directly elected mayors and also that key gateways such as Limerick, Waterford and Sligo should have revised structures of local government.

 

"While there are no plans to introduce directly elected mayors for towns at this stage it is proposed to re-examine the issue of such Mayors for town councils after an analysis of the city and county Mayor system.  This will inevitably mean that Westport will be have a directly-elected Mayor within the next five to ten years and I am throwing my hat in the ring for that election campaign today!" concluded Cllr Martin.