Author: Sonja Francis

ARE you interested in what goes on in your town? Do you have what it takes to represent the views of the people of Thame?
Don’t just sit there moaning and groaning about what your council does or does not do, get involved. Local elections are to be held in May for 16 (eight in the North ward and eight in the South ward) Town Councillors for Thame, and two District Councillors.

Nomination papers must be delivered to the Election Office, Council Offices, Crowmarsh Gifford, between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday after 27 March 2007, but not later than noon on Wednesday 4 April 2007. Nomination papers may be obtained at Council Offices, Crowmarsh Gifford, from D. Buckle, Returning Officer, who will at the request of any elector for any of the said Parish or Wards of Parishes, prepare a nomination paper for signature. If an election in any of the said Wards is contested, the poll will take place on Thursday, 3 May 2007 between the hours of 7.00am and 10.00pm.

Electors should take note that the deadline for new applications to vote by post or to change existing postal or proxy arrangements e.g. cancellation or re-direction etc. must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at Elections Office, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, OX10 8PH by 5.00pm on Wednesday, 18 April 2007 if they are to be effective for this election.

New applications to vote by proxy must be received by the Electoral Registration Officer by 5.00pm on Wednesday 25 April 2007.
The deadline for new applications to be received by the Electoral Registration Officer to vote by proxy on grounds of a medical emergency is not later than 5.00pm on Thursday 3 May 2007.

A BID by Oxford City Council to take control of all council services and create three new councils, has been rejected.
If the bid had been successful, it would have meant South Oxfordshire (the district council responsible for Thame) amalgamating with the Vale of White Horse District Council and the abolition of Oxfordshire County Council, with Cherwell merging with West Oxfordshire District Council.
Oxfordshire County Council has welcomed the news that Oxford City Council’s bid to have local government in the county re-organised has fallen at the first hurdle.

However, county council Leader, Keith Mitchell, says that he is not complacent and wants work to start immediately on closer working with Oxford City Council and the other four district councils to deliver “seamless, value for money council services to everyone in Oxfordshire.”
He said: “The Government has clearly seen through the financial detail in Oxford City Council’s bid. However, while this is a reason for celebration for everyone in Oxfordshire, it is not a reason for complacency. We must get our heads down and make our system of local government work even better than it already does.
“The government has told councils all over the country that districts and counties must work together better. We have heard that loud and clear. We want services to be as seamless as we can make them and we want to explore ideas such as a single ?phone number for all public services, one-stop shops for public services and shared back office functions to save taxpayers money.
“I am determined that we will deliver on this agenda and I know that many colleagues at Oxfordshire’s district councils, including the city council, are imaginative and wise enough to share our view that this is the best way forward.
“I am also determined that this unitary bidding process will have no lasting negative effect on our relationship with Oxford City Council.
“We must work in hand-in-hand for the sake of this great city. Oxfordshire County Council has been on a journey of continuous improvement that recently saw us achieve the Audit Commission’s highest ranking of “excellent” status. We have a lot to offer the city council in terms of that experience.”