The Today Public Policy Institute has presented its proposals for government’s planned local councils reform, including an extension of a council’s term from three year to four years, and a maximum limit of two terms of office to be served by mayors.
In a report presented to Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue and Information Chris Said, the institute’s director general Martin Scicluna wrote “with the aim of enhancing the scope and effectiveness of Local Councils by improving their structure and organisation; extending the scope of their responsibilities, and providing them with the resources to fulfil the tasks which they are set.”
Salient points in the proposals by the Today Policy Institute state the Local Councils should be elected to serve four-year terms of office and the current ‘staggered’ system of local council elections should be replaced by elections for all councils at a set date every four years. The report also proposes that the Mayors’ terms of office should be subject to a time limit that should not exceed two successive terms of four years each.