Test Valley councillors are to debate the procedure for selecting the borough mayor. I and councillor Rod Bailey (an ex mayor of Test Valley) have tabled a motion for next weeks council meeting calling for a review of the current arrangements.

The text of the motion is that “Council affirms that the role of Mayor as first citizen of the Borough is a non-political post and that in electing the Mayor it will seek to select the best candidate for the post. Council further notes that, unlike many other authorities, Test Valley does not have an agreed procedure for nomination of candidates for the post of Mayor. Council therefore calls upon the Executive to investigate procedures for nomination and election of Mayor with a view to introducing a formal procedure for the Mayoral election of 2009.”

The motion is not about the quality of mayors past, present or to come nor does it suggest the current procedures are unsatisfactory. It merely notes that unlike many other local authorities we do not have an established procedure. At a time when politicians locally and nationally are held in low esteem it is essential that our procedures and decisions are seen to be open, transparent and accountable. I hope the proposal will be accepted by the full council.

Test Valley procedure is that candidates are “chosen” at a private, informal meeting and then elected at the council’s annual general meeting in May. Other procedures include Basingstoke and Deane where candidates for election are selected on seniority and Eastleigh where a points system is used to ensure political proportionality. All of the last ten mayors of Test Valley have been from the majority Conservative group.