This article is from page 11 of the 2008-09-02 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
NON-ENNIS residents could have their say on the make-up of Ennis Town Council in next year’s local Here w Oy I TSE
Ennis Town Council is considering a proposal that would allow business owners with premises in Ennis, but not actually living in Ennis, to cast a vote in local elections next year.
Members of Fermoy Town Council have written to their counterparts in Ennis requesting that they support a motion, passed in the Fermoy Coun- cil chamber in July.
The motion states, “This council calls on the Government to enact legislation whereby any individual who pays rates or service charges to a local authority be entitled to vote in that local authority’s elections and that we circulate details of the mo- tion to councils countrywide to seek their support.”
At yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Fianna Fail coun-
cillor Tom Glynn called on his col- leagues in the chamber to support the motion.
“It is a merited proposition,” said Cllr Glynn, “If a person is a member of the business community in En- nis he or she should be entitled to a vote.”
Cllr Glynn said many people op- erating businesses in Ennis were not residents in the town. “There are lots of people from outside the town who have businesses in Ennis. I agree with the sympathy of the motion and J think we should support it.”
Town Clerk Eddie Power said problems existed regarding the pro- posal. The council is to write to the Minister for the Environment, John Gormely after members sought fur- ther clarification on the matter.
Meanwhile, members have also outlined their preferred measures for the control of postering for elections and referenda.
The proposals put forward by the Department of Environment, Herit- age and Local Government involve limiting posters to designated bill- boards or temporary hoardings, limiting the number of posters per candidate and introducing a code of practice on issues such as maximum poster size, bio-degradability of ma- terials and poster ties.
Mayor of Ennis Peter Considine said he didn’t see the value of elec- tion posters and that he won’t be using them during next year’s cam-
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