Co-option process

Question

If a candidates application for co-option is missing some information but submitted by the deadline, does it means the deadline has to be extended thus enabling another candidate to apply and get the position?

Answer 1

A “deadline” for cooption is a peculiar concept anyway. Whilst it could be a useful admin tool if there are many prospective candidates, what seems more likely is insufficient or no candidates.   In this instance, a deadline is pointless since it will have to be extended in perpetuity until a candidate does emerge.  Perhaps a better way to approach the issue of cooption is to set a ‘rolling deadline’ similar to that for items for the agenda - eg 7 days prior or whatever is specified locally.
If a candidate submits incomplete info it could be that they are ineligible for consideration or it could be that they are presented for consideration on the basis of what they have provided.
Is it the case that ‘some’ don’t ‘like’ the existing candidate and have sought to make them ineligible whilst they scrabble around trying to seek a more favourable candidate - that would come as no surprise….

Comments

The parish council had said the correct process was followed but I am trying to find out if this is true. Surely the deadline didn’t need to be extended in order to complete the process of cooption. Should the clerk have sent back the form to be completed without the need for an extension or is the extension compulsory? They said they had no choice but to extend it, then a friend of theirs got in.

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This is a common scenario when confronted with cooption.
You end up with existing Cllr(s) seeking to engage an ally in order to bolster their own influence.
Sounds fishy….

Answer 2

The co-option of a councillor is an informal process and so there are no hard and fast rules as to how the council appoints someone.  It is always sensible to have a policy that is agreed and followed to prevent any accusations of favouritism or nepotism.  So in answer to your question is both yes and no.  Personnally, it makes sense to have as many applicants as possible for the position so the council has a better choice.

Comments

As a side note, I would hope that a council with vacancies (especially regular) wouldn't have a really complicated application process for cooption. (Not directed this at you but just as a general point)