Play a role in the future of Marlborough? Represent your fellow residents? Then read on…..

There is a vacancy on Marlborough Town Council following the decision of Councillor Vanessa Hillier to stand down.

There are sixteen Councillor seats on the Town Council and every Councillor is involved in deciding and influencing many issues including planning, budgeting, etc. In summary, making Marlborough work.

It’s essentially a volunteer role although pocket expenses are covered, but moreover it’s about representing the interests and needs of everyone in the Ward (East) that the new Councillor will represent. People frequently complain about things they believe that the Council do or don’t do, but this is an opportunity to make sure that the needs of all residents and potential voters in the ‘East’ Ward of the town are served, represented and respected.

Again, it’s about making Marlborough work, for everyone.

Will there be an election? Possibly, if ten or more residents from the East Ward come forward and contact the Returning Officer by no later than 3 February an election will be called. The returning Officer is Terence Herbert and he can be contacted at Electoral Services, Wiltshire Council. Details will be on the Wiltshire council website as from tomorrow (14 January) and can be reached by clicking here.

If not enough residents do come forward to make an election happen, the process of ‘co-option’ will take place again, as it has every time a vacancy on the Council has arisen for more than the past decade. This is where the potential new Councillors are selected by existing Councillors, but the downside being that after a period of time, with no input from the electorate – i.e. residents making their choice as to who they want their representative to be – ‘co-opted’ Councillors select who they want to sit with them on the Town Council rather than the people whose interests and needs the new Councillor will represent.

If an election does take place it will happen no later than 8 April this year.

See the formal notice on the Town Council website by clicking here. But to play a role in shaping the future of Marlborough, whilst also serving the real needs and interests of fellow residents in the town, step forward…….