4. 7   PROTOCOL TO GUIDE COUNCILLORS WHEN ELECTING THE MAYOR/APPOINTING THE DEPUTY MAYOR AND ORDER OF SENIORITY OF COUNCILLORS

 

 

1.   Other than in exceptional circumstances, the Mayor should have held the post of Deputy Mayor in the year preceding the Mayoral election.

 

2.   Where there are exceptional circumstances (where the Mayor has not been the Deputy Mayor) the election of the Mayor should be made on the same basis as that for the appointment of Deputy Mayor.

 

3.   A Councillor shall be considered eligible for nomination when he/she is the most Senior Councillor at the Council (as set out in the order of seniority by length of service of Councillors) who wishes to take up that office, has served for a minimum of six years and who under normal circumstances has not previously held that office. On becoming eligible he/she should be appointed to the position of Deputy Mayor (or Mayor and Deputy if there are exceptional circumstances).

 

4.   A Councillor can serve as Mayor more than once in exceptional circumstances, these being that there are no other Councillors who meet the eligibility criteria, or no other eligible Councillors who are prepared to stand. Where there is more than one Councillor who is eligible under these exceptional circumstances, priority will be given to the Councillor who has held the post of Mayor the least number of times. Where there remains more than one eligible Councillor, lots will be drawn.

 

5.   At the penultimate ordinary meeting of the Council of the Municipal Year the proposed Mayor and Deputy Mayor should usually be chosen. 

 

6.   If, following discussions, there is more than one Councillor with the same seniority (ignoring ranking according to the time at which the Councillor was elected) wishing to be Deputy Mayor (or Mayor in exceptional circumstances), then the current Mayor shall draw lots and advise Councillors of the outcome to guide them when casting their votes. 

 

7.   Members of the Council will rank in the following order of seniority at Civic functions.

 

·         The Mayor;

 

·         The Deputy Mayor;

 

·         The Leader; and

 

·         Councillors, according to their date and time of election (those elected at the same time ranking according to alphabetical order)

 

If a person after ceasing to be a Councillor is subsequently re-elected within four years, his/her seniority will be determined by the total length of service as a Member of the Council.