I have a letter in the Bury Times and Prestwich and Whitefield Guide.

Elected Mayor would be the Wrong Decision

There are many reasons why I will be voting NO to an Elected Mayor for Bury in the referendum next Thursday. Not least is the fact that this extra position is likely to cost an extra £1 million in its first year - a complete waste of public money that we believe would be better spent on improved local services. The salary for an elected mayor alone is likely to be more than is spent on street repairs in a whole year in one of Bury’s local towns.

But for me the most important reason is about democracy. Liberal Democrats believe that local people should be at the heart of making decisions about our communities and about our local services. For us, this means that where decisions are taken should be made more local,
and involve more people. This doesn’t just mean that more decisions should be taken in Ramsbottom, or Prestwich or Bury town itself, but that local people are involved in making decisions about their local schools, health services and the streets and estates we live on.

If we were to choose to have an elected mayor in Bury, all the Executive Powers of the Council would be in the hands of one person, sat at the Town Hall, and this person would only be accountable to the people when they come up to election after four years.

To have an elected mayor in Bury would not only be an expensive waste of money, but a dangerous move away from the local democracy we should be fighting for.

Cllr Tim Pickstone
Leader, Bury Liberal Democrats