Parish council co-option procedure
This policy sets out the procedure to ensure there is compliance with legislation and continuity of procedures in the co-option of members to Casterton Parish Council.
The co-option procedure is entirely managed by the Parish Council, and this policy will ensure that a fair and equitable process is carried out. There are no statutory rules regarding filling a vacancy by co-option.
To ensure that a fair and transparent procedure is undertaken this policy sets out the process to be followed by Casterton Parish Council when co-opting.
The Parish Council should co-opt to fill any vacancy, but is not obliged to do so, and will not usually do so within 6 months of an ordinary election.
Even if the Council invites applications for co-option, it is not obliged to select anyone from the candidates who apply.
If there are no applicants or Council decides not to select any of the candidates, Council will decide whether they wish to undertake another co-option exercise either immediately or after a defined period of time.
Application Process
Candidates found to be offering inducements of any kind will be disqualified.
The Statutory requirements to be co-opted as a Councillor are the same as standing for election to the Parish Council.
The applicant needs to be proposed and seconded by two residents on the electoral register.
The applicant must be 18 years or over, a British subject or a citizen of the Commonwealth or a citizen of a member state of the European Union and meet at least one of the following qualifications:
- Is on the electoral register anywhere in the parish.
- Has lived in or within 3 miles of the parish boundary for the previous 12 months.
- Owns, rents, occupies or otherwise has right of occupation of land in the parish.
- Works in the parish.
Although there is no statutory requirement to do so, applicants for co-option will be asked to:
- submit information about themselves, by completing a short application form (a copy of the application form is attached as Appendix 1) together with a CV and written summary covering: their reasons for wishing to be a Councillor; previous community/Council work; any other skills they can bring to the Council, their interests and recent career history, similar to that which they would produce if standing for election.
- confirm their eligibility for the position of Councillor within the statutory rules (a copy of the confirmation of eligibility form is attached as Appendix 2).
Copies of the applicant’s application forms will be circulated to all Councillors by the Parish Clerk at least seven days prior to the meeting of the full Council, when the co-option will be considered. All documents will be treated by the Clerk and all Councillors in confidence and in accordance with the GDPR 2018.
1. Voting Procedure
Voting will be according to the statutory requirements, in that, a successful candidate must have received an absolute majority vote of those present and voting.
Councillors shall vote by paper ballot listing all the candidate’s names plus an option for “none of the candidates”.
In the case of an equality of votes, the Chairman of the meeting has a second or casting vote.
After the vote has been concluded, the Chairman will declare the successful candidate duly elected and after signing their declaration of Acceptance of Office may take their seat immediately.
The Council is not obliged to provide feedback on the application process to unsuccessful candidates.
2. Acceptance of Office
The successful candidate(s) must sign their declaration of acceptance of office before they can act as a Councillor. The Register of Interest form must be completed within 28 days and the Parish Clerk will forward a copy to the Westmorland & Furness District Council Monitoring Officer.
The Clerk will advise the Elections Officer of Westmorland & Furness Council of the names of anyone co-opted to the Council.
The Parish Clerk is responsible for providing each new Councillor with an induction, a new Councillors pack and should ensure that all new Councillors have read and understood the Code of Conduct and the Standing Orders adopted by the Council.
Download procedure document, appendices and application form