Does the 6 month limit on non-attendance re-start after the member is re-elected in the local gov elections?

Question

One of our members had missed two of the meetings we hold every other month. The local council elections took place just on her 6-month limit and she was re-elected but did not turn up to the first PC meeting after the election (ie the PC AGM) - so she is now over the 6 months without having attended. But does the clock-re-start when the member is re-elected?

Answer 1

The clock restarts but more importantly has she signed her acceptance of office form? If she hasnt and the council hasn't resolved to give an extension, she will have forfeited her place on the council by default. The forms have to be signed before the first meeting of the new council...

Comments

You’re saying the clock restarts at election….

OK - I can see the ‘logic’ or ‘sense’ in the suggestion that the clock restarts at election - but I can’t find a definitive reference which validates such an opinion.
Do you have a reference?

This simply states 6 consecutive months but no mention of what happens when that 6 months includes an election: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/section/85

I could go with the logic that says - at an election every Cllr ceases to be a Cllr at resignation and then restarts a new term but I’m not convinced that is definitive.
Does anybody have a definitive reference or are we in “opinion land” again?

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I would concur that logic dictates that councillors automatically resign for an election hence their requirement of signing letters of acceptance before becoming the elected councillor again. This period of not being a councillor ( however short )  forms a break of tenure and as such must re-set the clock to commence from the moment they sign up again.( e.g. take their place on the council). Again, this reinforces the need to keep accurate attendance records.
Also surely this councillor should be encouraged to self question their motives for being on the council in the first place

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She has signed and returned her acceptance form. Thank you for the replies and I will take it up with her - she is much valued when availalable but I wanted to be sure of the position before I speak.

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I completely agree with you Mentorman
One of the solutions to increase attendance is to publish attendance records

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Jules ( we are once again in agreement) publishing of attendance records on website would of course give the electorate access to which councillors are working on their behalf and which are not ( ready for the next election)

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As a school governor, I know it's a legal requirement for school governing boards to publish attendance data on their websites. Maybe it should be for PCs too. I might raise it at our next PC meeting!

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At Borough level my profile also included training I hate to brag but in any year I think I personally did more training than my entire 20 seat Parish Council did collectively

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Attendance is (at least it should be) already recorded and published as first item on the agenda.

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Ah but I am talking about statistics for the last 12 months - that's what school governing boards have to report on their websites. Our minutes only show attendance at that meeting - it would take residents a long time to go back through all the last year's minutes to get an idea of which councillors were or were not attending regularly

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Quite simple to keep a monthly attendance record updated after each meeting on the PC website.

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OK stats could be useful but it’d take an interests party no more than 10 mins to review, say 10 sets of minutes. Possibly less - I May time myself doing it tomorrow just for S&Gs.
Are there enough people interested to make it an interactive link? We don’t even get anyone at a meeting let alone worry about which Cllrs are there. A solution to a problem which doesn’t exist?

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Of course age old question of what came first chicken or egg. No one interested because of no interest in duties by council and communication with community?