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Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Elections for CCs in November plus a referendum on 1, 2 or 3!

Liz told the River Community Council this evening that the new constitutions and standing orders for Community Councils must be approved by the three Nairn Councils between the 1st of April and the 30th of June. There will also have to be an election for all of Nairn's CCs too.

Liz had been speaking to a John Bruce, the Highland Council's election manager and it appears that there is still an opportunity to settle the issue of a single Community Council in Nairn once and for all with a referendum. Liz explained:
"I said there's still a dispute about whether there should be one, two or three Community Councils in nairn and would there be a chance to put a referendum paper in with the ballot papers for the CC's. It would be an option if the CC's wanted it."
Liz went on to say that it might stop the back-fighting and argy bargy ( a reference there to earlier debate in the meeting about the recent correspondence appearing in the Nairnshire Telegraph) and would give River a chance to get their point across and inform the public of the implications"

For elections to take place under the new rules however, River would need 11 candidates coming forward, Suburban would need 10 and West 8. The minimum number needed to stand to ensure the survival of the three councils would be 7, that is to say if you had seven candidates only then you could form the council without an election. The large numbers needed are yet another reason to simply have a Burgh of Nairn Community Council across the board but that is just this observer's opinion.

There will shortly be a meeting between all three Community Councils to discuss the issue, River indicated this evening that they have responded positively to a letter from Highland Council setting up a date and time for this meeting.

Let's hope Liz's Nairn colleagues on the Highland Council don't go against her proposal of a referendum on mere political grounds. This is an opportunity to settle a question that will just continue to fester unless the public are allowed to have their say.

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