Official move to cut number of councillors 29/5/14
Three of the 31 councillor posts in the Western Isles could be cut under a proposal published today.
Islanders can object if they think the Comhairle needs all the councillors they can get or opine if there should be an even heavier cull.
Changes to the number of council wards and their boundaries are also to be proposed.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland commences a 12 week period of public consultation today on its plan to run the Comhairle with less councillors.
The Comhairle thinks more should go and suggests five posts for the axe. Originally, it sought to have just just 22 elected members but backtracked.
The results will determine the number of posts for the next local council elections in 2017.
Ronnie Hinds, Chair of the Commission, said: “There have been many changes in Scotland since our last reviews, and it is important that electoral arrangements for Scottish councils take account of those changes as part of ensuring effective local democracy.
“We have been encouraged by the discussions we have held with councils on these proposals and look forward to hearing the views of the public over the next 12 weeks.”
The Comhairle also wants the introduction of electoral wards consisting of between two to six councillors so that distinct geographical communities can be adequately represented.
It suggested the Commission should consider the “different role of councillors in sparsely populated rural areas such as the Western Isles, particularly in the more rural areas, and should take into account community ties in determining ward boundaries.”
The Commission has drawn up recommendations based on a methodology which takes into account levels of deprivation as well as population distribution. Using these factors, similar councils are grouped together for the purpose of determining councillor numbers.
In 2015 the Commission will consult on its proposals for the number and boundaries of wards.
When reviewing electoral arrangements the Commission looks at the interests of effective and convenient local government and within each council, each councillor should represent the same number of electors as nearly as may be.
It also considers if any local ties would be broken by making a particular boundary; the desirability of fixing boundaries that are easily identifiable; and special geographical considerations.