Standing Orders - Bideford Town Council

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Section A - Council Meetings

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1. Arrangements for Meetings

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1.1 The Council shall agree an annual schedule of meetings showing date time and place.

1.2 The Annual Town Council Meeting (in and ordinary election year) shall be held on or within fourteen days after the date on which elected councillors take office (the fourth day after the ordinary day of election)

1.3 The Annual Town Council Meeting (in a non-ordinary election year) shall be in a day in May as decided by the Council.

1.4 At least ten Council meetings a year including the Annual Town Council Meeting will be held.

1.5 Meetings will normally be held on the second Thursday of the month.

1.6 A copy of the Council Summons and Agenda shall be sent to County Councillors and District Councillors covering Wards in Bideford as well as Town Councillors for Bideford.

1.7 A copy of the Council Summons and Agenda shall be displayed in public places deemed from time to time to be appropriate.

2. Term of Office and Powers of Mayor/Deputy Mayor

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2.1 The Town Mayor/Deputy Mayor unless he resigns or is disqualified shall continue in office until a successor is elected.

2.2 The Town Mayor/Deputy Mayor shall be ineligible for re-election to their respective offices after a maximum of one year in continuous service.  They shall be ineligible, in the following year, for re-election to the office they have held.

3. Voting

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Show of Hands or Secret Ballot

3.1 Members shall vote by show of hands or by secret ballot if requested by at least two members.

Voting on Appointments

3.2 All appointments to Committees, Sub-Committees, Working Parties and Appointments to Outside Bodies shall be voted on by a show of hands.

3.3 Where more than two persons have been nominated for any position to be filled by the Council and of the votes given there is not an absolute majority in favour of one person, the name
of the person having the least number of votes shall be struck off the list and a fresh vote taken and so on until a majority of votes is given in favour of one person.

Recorded Vote

3.4 If at least one member so requests, the Town Clerk shall record the names of members who voted on any question identifying their vote for or against.  Such a request must be made before a vote takes place.

Chairman’s Casting Vote

3.5 The Chairman may vote on any matter put to the vote.  Where an equality of votes then arises he may give a casting vote.  If he did not vote on the first occasion he may still use the casting vote.

3.6 If the person presiding at the Annual Meeting of the Council would have ceased to be a member of the Council but for the statutory provision which preserves the membership of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman until their term of office ends he may not give an original vote in an election for Chairman.  In the event of an equality of voting however the person presiding must give a casting vote.

3.7 A Chairman cannot preside over his/her own election and must stand aside from the chair to allow an election to take place.