The leader of North Yorkshire Council has dismissed a call to change the way decisions are made at the authority.
The council has been urged to move towards a modern committee system by Green Party councillors who say the style of governance is more democratic.
North Yorkshire Council currently use a leader-cabinet system, with the Conservative and Independents group, which has the majority of councillors, appointing a leader and members of an executive committee.
The executive then makes most decisions at monthly meetings,
Although these decisions are ratified by the full council, critics say the ruling group will always get its way because of its majority, with group meetings held before full council meetings to decide which way to vote.
Councillor Arnold Warneken, Green Party councillor for the Ouseburn division, has spoken out after 19 opposition councillors walked out of a full council meeting last month in protest at last-minute amendments announced by the executive without other members being notified in advance.
Cllr Warneken said this would not have happened using a modern committee system, with councils run by politically balanced committees.
The councillor says around 30 councils in England currently use the system.
He said:
“The Conservatives have been making all the decisions at North Yorkshire Council for more than 20 years.
“But it doesn’t have to be that way — all parties can be heard. We need to be making decisions out in the open, not behind closed doors.”
“Most people don’t realise that in local government, the people can demand a different style of governance that is more democratic.
“They can do that at any time – they don’t have to wait for an election. And we’re seeing that across the country – over 30 councils have already made the change.”
But in response Councillor Carl Les, the leader of the authority, said a system change was “often raised by minority parties who sought a larger voice than the election has provided them”.
He added:
“We should note that the Green group get a seat on every committee presently, other than the executive, which is much more numerate than their four out of 90 is proportionate.
“The executive system has been in place for nearly 25 years now, not just since 2014.”
Cllr Les said the current system replaced a committee system which was “cumbersome and bureaucratic, and slow at reaching decisions”.
He added:
“In the end whatever the Greens say, any decision will be made by majority vote
“If they want to change the system then they need to win more seats at an election, whereupon they can.
“In the meantime, there is nothing to stop them working with any group, including the majority group, to come up with ideas we can all support.”
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