27
Nov
Ripon mayor Barbara Brodigan faces confidence vote today
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Ripon will go to the polls today (November 27) for a vote of confidence in the mayor, Councillor Barbara Brodigan.
The parish poll was proposed by resident Brian McHugh at a parish meeting this month.
It was triggered when 13 people — three more than the required 10 — supported Mr McHugh’s proposal at the meeting.
The question on the ballot paper is: ‘Do you have confidence in Councillor Barbara Brodigan?’
The result in non-binding, and Cllr Brodigan — who has branded the poll a “waste of money” — has indicated she will continue as mayor regardless of the outcome.
Polling stations will be open from 4pm to 9pm at Harrogate Road Methodist Church on Harewood Road, the Cadet Centre on Clotherholme Road, Holy Trinity Church on Kirkby Road and Allhallowgate Methodist Church on Victoria Grove.
Poll cards have not been issued.
The count of votes will take place at Harrogate Road Methodist Church, after voting closes at 9pm.
Ahead of the vote, John Richmond, who at 90 is the longest surviving mayor, said he hoped stability would return following a turbulent three months since previous mayor Cllr Jackie Crozier resigned in the face of a no confidence vote brought by fellow councillors.
Mr Richmond, who served his mayoral term in the 1975/76 mayoral year and was made a Freeman of the City in 2004, has attended most of the extraordinary meetings held by Ripon City Council since September. He said:
Very sadly, we are in a dreadful situation caused by in-fighting, along with claims and counter claims of wrong-doing and it has stop.
While this unpleasantness has been going on in and outside the council chamber, Ripon, which has been granted three Royal Charters – the first from King James I in 1604 and most recently by Queen Elizabeth II in 1976, has, over the past three months, become a laughing stock and the damage done to its reputation is unforgivable.
The need for stability, co-operation between councillors of all colours and the application of commonsense, is the only way that we can get out of this self-inflicted mess.
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