Should an Offaly mayor have powers of a county manager?

There has been a mixed reaction locally to proposals contained in a green paper published this week suggesting that directly elected mayors take over most of the powers currently held by county managers.

“Stronger Local Democracy - Options for Change” was published on Tuesday. The proposals suggest directly elected mayors would have executive powers in areas such as housing, water, waste and transport policy.

Speaking to the Offaly Independent this week, Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council Eamonn Dooley said that while he “wouldn?t mind directly elected mayors,” giving them executive powers wouldn?t work.

“It?s a dangerous road to go down,” he said. “It would seem strange to me that you would be elected by the people but have executive powers.”

He said he would be in favour of the proposed mayors having a five-year term, as suggested in the green paper, if the plans come to fruition however.

“An elected member is there to represent the public,” he said in his argument against the change. “You?d like to think you work with the executive rather than be part of the executive.”

Cllr Dooley said that while the executive?s job was to run the budget, it?s up to elected members to give members of the public “a fair crack at the whip”.

If an elected member has executive functions, as would be the case with the proposed mayors, Cllr Dooley suspects their emphasis would be controlling budgets.

Cllr Dooley suggested a council chairperson being elected for a period of five years, like the green paper proposals, but not being given executive functions.

However, Independent councillor Dervill Dolan was more optimistic about the proposed move. He said a directly elected mayor would be a positive development because it would involve the people voting directly for an elected office, which is the most democratic way.

“A directly elected Mayor would strengthen local democracy and would encourage local participation in local government elections and hence the decision making process,” he said.

He also agreed that a directly elected mayor should have a five year term, and said that would most likely be on a part-time basis in a county like Offaly and on a full-time basis in cities and larger counties.

In contrast to Cllr Dooley?s view on executive powers, Cllr Dolan said it?s essential in his view that any directly elected mayor would have additional executive powers to deal with the budgets, development plans, waste policies and other issues.

“But,” he said, “the mayor?s position should not dilute the powers of the other elected councillors. Rather there must be a move to strengthen the powers of the mayor and local councillors and rebalance some executive powers away from county managers back to elected representatives.”

“There is no point,” Cllr Dolan said, “having a mayor elected by the people rubber stamping council management decisions, because the mayor and councillors are accountable to the people and elected by the people to make decisions on behalf of and in the best interests of the people.”

He said a directly elected mayor and the councillors must have enhanced executive functions, but equally must be accountable and take responsibility for their decisions.

He said that from an election point of view a directly elected mayor would most likely favour candidates from the larger political parties and make it extremely difficult for independent candidates to score the position, but he said this would not turn him against the idea as it enhanced democracy.