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General Elections for Local Authorities set to take place on Thursday April 26th 2012Feb 17, 2012 (M2 PRESSWIRE via COMTEX) -- The Department of Infrastructure is keen to inform the public about the General Elections for Local Authorities which are due to take place in April this year. Local Elections take place every four years and can involve all 24 Local Authorities with a total of 160 seats open to people who wish to represent their local communities. The Local Authorities play an important role in the Island's community. Once elected, Commissioners (or Councillors in Douglas) can collectively make decisions in a number of areas affecting community life. These include providing refuse collection, street lighting, parks, playgrounds, car parking, libraries, public conveniences, control of dogs and beach cleaning. Some Local Authorities also have other roles such as providing housing and carrying out a building control function for their residents. One of the key challenges for Local Authorities is to ensure that services they carry out provide value for money for local people. Preparatory training has already been given to people involved in the election process by the Department, and revised and updated Local Authority election guidance is being placed on the Department of Infrastructure's website and issued to Local Authorities. The Department has also produced a guide aimed at people who wish to stand, and this provides information on nominations and the role of a local commissioner/councillor. This will also be available shortly on the Department's website. David Cretney said today "As a strong believer in local democracy, I would like to encourage anyone interested in contributing to their local community to consider getting more involved by standing for their Local Authority in the forthcoming elections. In these tougher economic times, decisions made locally can have a major impact on the lives of all members of our wider community. One way to ensure everyone is represented is to encourage people from all backgrounds and parts of the community to stand for Election. If you feel you can contribute to your area and have something to offer why not seek further information from your Local Authority or through the Department's website?" For further information contact: Steve Willoughby on 686246 or Richard Ronan 497293 Department of Infrastructure Address: Sea Terminal Building Douglas Isle of Man Post Code: IM1 2RF Telephone: 01624 686600 Fax: 01624 686611 ((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to [email protected]. |