Thousands expected to go to the polls as county council election day looms (From This is The West Country)

Thousands expected to go to the polls as county council election day looms

9:00am Saturday 23rd March 2013 in Devon By Mid Devon Star Reporter

NEARLY 600,000 people over the age of 18 in Devon will get the chance to go to the polls on May 2 to determine who will lead Devon County Council and be responsible for key local services.

County council elections in England take place once every four years and all 62 seats in Devon are up for grabs. Devon County Council is the largest local authority in the South West and is responsible for 85% of all local public services in the county, including key services such as schools, roads and social care. Its total annual budget is over £1 billion per year.

The county is divided into 62 electoral divisions with one councillor representing each division. The average population represented by each councillor is 10,000 people.

The organisation of the elections is undertaken on the County Council’s behalf by Exeter City Council and the seven District Councils in Devon. The County Returning Officer, who is the County Solicitor, appoints Deputy Returning Officers, who are senior District Council staff, to manage the elections within their respective districts.

The last Devon County Council elections took place on 4 June 2009. They were delayed from 7 May 2009, in order to coincide with elections to the European Parliament.

The Conservatives took control of Devon County Council from the Liberal Democrats for the first time since 1989. The Liberal Democrat administration had led the County Council for the previous four years. Prior to that, from 2001 – 2005, no party achieved a majority and the council agreed a power sharing arrangement with the first ever all-party administration in the County Council’s 120-year history.

The current political composition of the Council is: Conservative – 41.

Liberal Democrat – 13.

Labour – 6.

Independent – 2.

For more detail about the current County Councillors and electoral divisions visit - www.devon.gov.uk/county_councillors.