Plymouth faces a vote on a £80,000-a-year mayor. MPs disagree, citing a waste of funds and potential service cuts.
The MPs think it’s a waste of money, adding no new funding. The referendum alone costs £410,000. This could mean cuts to city services. One MP said money should fix potholes and fund social care. A mayor would need a new office, using existing budgets.
Councillors learned details in January that the mayor could cost £1.5 million per year. The referendum costs £410,000, and an election could cost £80,000. The Labour group opposes the mayor, believing it doubles costs to £80,000, with the office adding up to £1.5 million. Taxpayers would pay for it all.
A group supporting a mayor for Plymouth collected signatures for a vote. They say the mayor’s pay is average and only raises costs by 4%. An MP countered that other cities scrapped mayors, asserting a mayor won’t help Plymouth.
The referendum alone costs almost £500,000. He wants funds for important things like potholes and social care. The mayor adds no extra funding at all, so services may be cut to pay. Another MP finds the idea unrealistic, seeing no new powers or funds. The mayor would add bureaucracy, with the office costing £1.5 million yearly.
The council must find £500,000 for the vote, money that could fund needed services. Conservative cuts hurt the city, while Labour can improve things instead. A notice confirms the referendum, and a Labour person calls it pointless, adding no new powers or money.
They say the campaign misleads people, questioning what services will be cut. Other places already failed with this model, distracting from real issues. It won’t create a powerful mayor, they say; no extra money will come to Plymouth, and the city only gains more bureaucracy.
Plymouth rejected a mayor in 2002. Other cities ended the mayor system, facing inefficiency and weak support. The mayor group wants to change the system, seeing improved governance for the city. The referendum money enables this change.
They describe it as a simple swap, the mayor replacing the current leader, a ‘one-for-one’ change without an extra layer. A businessman supports the mayor idea, saying the public should choose. Not party workers, but the people decide.
He understands some nervousness, as those in politics may have to fight now. People can choose what Plymouth needs next. This vote can govern Plymouth for years. People now choose to keep the system or choose a new role with an elected mayor.