International councillor

[Gob]

A Devon councillor who moved to live across the English Channel in France is facing calls to resign.



Conservative Eve Barisic lives in Roscoff, a commute of more than 150 miles (240km) by ferry and road to her ward in Newton Abbot.

Labour parliamentary candidate Roy Freer called it an "insult to the people of Newton Abbot and to democracy".

Ms Barisic, who moved seven months ago, asked to be judged on her performance.

The former planning official was elected as councillor for Newton Abbot North in May 2013, but moved abroad with her husband after he started a new job.

Mother-of-one Ms Barisic, is a member of Devon's scrutiny committee, personnel partnership committee and the standing advisory council on religious education group.

Last financial year she claimed her attendance allowance of £10,000 along with £476 travelling and subsistence expenses and a carer's allowance of £195.

Her attendance record has not yet been disclosed by the authority.

She said she was "easily contactable every day" and in Newton Abbot for a week every month.

"It is only now, in the run up to the general election, that my political opponents have chosen to criticise me, despite having known I was here since the beginning," she said.

"I really want to serve the people of my ward and I would ask them to judge me on what I do and not where I do it from."

She says on the Conservative Party's website: "Having lived in Newton Abbot for six years, I love it.

"Newton Abbot is a wonderful place to live, work and play."

[oldr_n_wsr]

She shoud give it up.

[Guinevere]

In MA, moving out the jurisdiction you represent is constructive resignation. As it should be.

Eta - that's at the local level - which is what is applicable to this woman. My own experience as both a local elected official and as counsel to many local officials (elected and appointed) is that you must be physically present to be able to do your job. Emails and phone calls only go so far. Having a regular presence at local events and local meetings is absolutely necessary to do the best job possible for your constituents. You have to know them. You have to look them in the eye. You have to speak with them face to face. Local government happens a lot more then one week a month.

[rubato]

"... Mother-of-one Ms Barisic, is a member of Devon's scrutiny committee, personnel partnership committee and the standing advisory council on religious education group. ..."

Partnering up and doing some standing scrutinizing, can't do that by remote control. No as well.

What if she lived in "Marmite on Toast", or whereever it is, and commuted for conjugal visits? What that pass serious scrutiny?



yrs,
rubato

[Lord Jim]

I believe that in the UK, members of Parliament are not required to live in the constituencies they represent, (and many don't) so the traditions of living where you represent are somewhat less hardcore then they are here.

However that having been said this is a local council, not Parliament, and a foreign country, not just a different locality...

Which I assume makes it somewhat more problematic....

And added to that, the foreign country in question is France....

I'm not an expert on the politics of this UK locality, but I have a sneaking suspicion that more than a few of the good folks who live there aren't going to be happy about being represented by someone who prefers to live in France, and won't be sympathetic to the Councilwoman's explanation...

[Big RR]

I agree Jim; if the law doesn't require that a councillor live in his/her district, the electorate can surely demand it.

And, FWIW, I think requiring a local councilor to live in the town in which they are part of the ruling council makes a lot of sense, as they will be more accessible to the electorate and will have first hand knowledge of a lot of the issues.

[MajGenl.Meade]

"Newton Abbot is a wonderful place tolive, work and play."

FTFH

[BoSoxGal]

John Hart, leader of Devon County Council, said any councillor's personal circumstances could change during a four-year term.

"Eve is available to her constituents by email and phone and is in her ward regularly for face to face meetings," he said.

"She has assured me she can continue to serve her electors. I believe it is right to give her that opportunity."

Residency is obviously not a requirement, so she is under no obligation to stand down.

If she truly is available to constituents by email/phone every day and spends a week every month there, that's better than a lot of US elected officials who ARE required to live in their districts.

I wonder if folks realize how little time Congresscritters actually spend in their districts?


It sounds like her husband got a job in France and as the mother of a young child, she made the decision to keep her family as intact as possible. Not terrible values, those.

[Big RR]

True--but this is not a national level position where the body convenes in another city (Like the US Congress); her leaving is more like the town mayor or aldermen moving away. You're probably right that residency is not required, but I wouldn't blame the electorate for voting her out; indeed, I wouldn't vote for a town government official who didn't live in the town.

[Lord Jim]

I wonder if folks realize how little time Congresscritters actually spend in their districts?

A lot more time than they used to, to the detriment of the quality of representation their constituents receive, in my opinion...

Some of them don't even get an apartment in the DC area; they literally live in their office, sleeping on a cot and taking their showers in the House gym. The second they can leave town for home, they do...

Most don't go to quite that extreme, but there's such a great fear of being tagged as out of touch, that except for the leadership and a handful of old timers, most of the members of Congress now spend as little time in DC as possible.

As I've posted about before, I think this is very detrimental. It has contributed to how poorly the members get to know their colleagues, (particularly members from the other party) and I have no doubt that this has been an important factor in the partisan intransigence that grips the House.

Who's getting better representation? A constituent whose representative sleeps on a cot in their office but spends boatloads of time in the district, or one who may spend less time in the district but has gotten to know the people they have to be able to work with to get anything done?

[Gob]

Beat this!!

A Suffolk councillor who is moving to the United States is refusing to stand down from his role, insisting he can do the job from almost 4,000 miles away.



Brian Riley, Conservative county councillor for Hadleigh, is moving to North Carolina but plans to visit Suffolk on a regular basis.

He told the East Anglian Daily Times he intended to use email and Skype to continue in his role.

Mark Bee, leader of the council, said Mr Riley's plan "beggars belief".

He said Mr Riley had been suspended by the Conservative group and would be urged to consider resigning as a councillor, preferably in time to allow a by-election to coincide with the general election in May.

But the emigrating councillor cannot be forced to resign from his role, which includes a £10,000-a-year allowance, as legally he is only required to attend one meeting every six months.

[oldr_n_wsr]

He could move to Suffok county Long Island.

[Lord Jim]

Why would a guy lucky enough to live in North Carolina want to move to New York?

[oldr_n_wsr]

Because it's closer to the big apple.
Oh wait, is that really a bonus?

[BoSoxGal]

Time for residency requirements?