Mayors could save taxpayers billions, says report
Source: The Guardian
Directly elected city mayors could save taxpayers billions of pounds if they used their powers to rationalise citywide spending by public and private bodies, a major new report into the role of elected mayors suggests.
The report also says the government should consider giving mayors wider powers over transport, welfare and skills – something that might require the government to accept that these powers need to extend over a region, and not just a city.
The report prepared by the Warwick commission is based on interviews with over 40 mayors, staff and senior council figures in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
The report does not formally back the concept of city mayors, arguing instead that they will be most appropriate in cities that have lacked visible effective leadership. It also calls for a recall option if residents feel the mayor is not up to the job.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/apr/15/mayors-could-save-taxpayers-billions
= new reply since forum marked as read
