Two Liberal Democrat councillors have called for numbers to be chopped from 54 to 34
Two Arun Liberal Democrat councillors have called for the number of council members to be chopped from 54 to 34 in a bid to help local residents save money.
Francis Oppler and James Walsh have asked Arun District Council to reduce council members by over a third after putting forward that a 2012 boundary review "missed a golden opportunity to significantly reduce the number of councillors". They hope that reviewing the need for members would help people save money as council taxes continue to rise.
The motion presented to the council reads: "At this time of financial hardship, many Arun residents are looking at ways of cutting down on their financial expenditures.
“They are closely examining what they can cut out and what is really needed for the future.
“Our residents are also facing year-on-year council tax rises, and many residents in Arun are on fixed incomes, so these increases become even more of a struggle.
“If Arun were to reduce the number of councillors by twenty, the council would save well in excess of £100,000 per year."
Oppler and Walsh also asked for a review into 'hidden costs'. While councillors do not receive a salary, they get a basic allowance and receive more money for duties such as chairing a committee - with the year ending March 2021 seeing expenses amount to £430,000 for the council.
If the motion is supported, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England could be approached with the view of reducing the number of council members.
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