All posts in the topic Oxford needs an elected Mayor (Short link)
Summary
- There are 7 posts — by 6 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Andrew Bunch at May 13 15:12 UTC
Its clear in a town which invented the road sign for failed roads, perhaps we should invent a new one for Oxford itself, a failed city sign. The low turnout of 32.59% at the recent local elections, together with no single party able to win a majority of the city council seats; means Oxford will suffer yet another year of ineffectual governance. Clearly, if we are to improve local democracy in Oxford, keeping the current system is not an option. If we are to improve accountability with the public, create a stronger focal point for business and inward investors and ensure we have effective decision-making for the whole of the Oxford community and not simply for council services, we need to have an elected Mayor for Oxford. I suggest Oxford's many local residents and business pressure groups get together in the interests of Oxford's future and campaign for an elected Mayor for this fine city. Since sadly as the Oxford Times said recently: “Sadly, it is unlikely that the present crop of councillors will seriously consider such a proposal. After all, they would have to concede power.” To find out more http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Headington.htm#Its_Time_we_had_an_elected_Mayor_to_sort_out_Oxford
Not certain how you went from the problem posed in paragraph one to the "clear"
solution in the next. Not so clear to me how one more elected official can
make a difference. It would simply lead to another bureaucratic set of
offices. It's almost like you are asking for a mini-dictator who will ensure
"effective decision-making". And who is to say this person would have any more
authority or willingness to get things done than the current crop of leaders?
As for "business interests", I would offer that what Oxford needs to preserve
its unique and beautiful heritage is far less commercialism and more looking
after the true interests of the city - its environment, its transport and its
people. We need folks who can help guide and transition our city to a more
sustainable post-oil-age economy - not more business development projects
(which will suffer increasingly higher cost overruns due to the imminence of
peak global oil production), not more shopping malls, not a gigantic
underground parking facility in a flood zone, not more resulting roads and
traffic, and not more destruction of historic sites like Bonn Square.
What we need are plans put into place to deal with the problems just now
starting to show themselves globally where we are faced with a permanent
shortage of cheap energy and food, rapidly rising costs and climate change. We
need folks in power who are willing to recognise the changes moving across the
globe, understand that we in this city are not cut off from those global issues
and who have the strength and vision and courage to deal with them effectively.
We need leaders who understand that this old world of limitless possibilities
and unending growth is rapidly fading away, replaced by a world in which "less
is better" and efficient use of our remaining resources is paramount and where
the social and economic dynamics will be far different than they are today.
Who will prepare our city and its people for this?
Oxford needs not a change in leadership, but a change in attitude. A change in
attitude will result in the appropriate change in leadership.
Victor Wood
Oxford, Oxfordshire
The solution rather depends on what problem you're trying to solve.
Low turnout at council elections?
- Oxford has a large number of transitory residents
- The City Council has very limited powers : difficult to see how concentrating
these in a single individual would make much difference
Part of Oxford's problem is that, if you take the University out of the
equation, it has no real identity in contrast to either big cities such as
Manchester or local towns and villages such as Witney or Eynsham. This may well
be linked to the fact that many Oxford residents, even well-established ones,
have their roots elsewhere.
What people do identify with are smaller areas such as Headington, East Oxford
or Summertown. Oxford isn't, as it is often described, a "world city": it's a
city of global villages.
If you want people to become engaged in local issues, you probably need to
start with Oxford's villages. Hopefully, these forums can be part of that
process.
I will vote for Victor Wood as elected Mayor.
Whilst not entirely agreeing with Victor Wood in his subsequent paragraphs -
his first paragraph about the cost/benefit of an elected mayor is spot on!
An elected Mayor would mean there is little point in Oxford having so many
Councillors. We could drastically cut their numbers. Unlike a dictator, if we
in Oxford do not like him or her, we can always vote for someone else at the
next election, as they have just done in London.
The present set up as the Audit Commission confirms Oxford is a not serving its
residents to the best of its abilities.
Oxford is not a disneyland, not everyone lives and works for the Oxford
University. You have to think of providing future jobs for those that do not.
The city is home to around 3,300 businesses providing 108,000 jobs. Seven of
the ten largest employers in Oxfordshire are based in Oxford. 88% of employees
work in services, including 19% in retail, hotel and catering.