The Local Government Act 2000 gave power to the Secretary of State to make regulations that require a local authority, which has received a petition, to hold a referendum on the question whether it should operate executive arrangements that involve an elected mayor, and the Local Authorities (Referendums) (Petitions and Directions) (England) Regulations 2000 were introduced for this purpose.
Local authorities are now able to make arrangements for the discharge of their functions by an executive, which as far as this council is concerned, must consist of one of the following:
(a) an elected mayor of the authority and two or more councillors of the authority appointed to the executive by the mayor; or
(b) a councillor of the authority elected as leader of the executive (the executive leader) by the authority, and two or more councillors of the authority appointed to the executive either by the executive leader or the authority; or
(c) an elected mayor of the authority and an officer of the authority appointed to the executive by the authority.Where an authority's proposals for an executive involve an elected mayor, it is required to hold a referendum before implementing its proposals. The regulations make provision for the holding of such a referendum.
Verification number
Each local authority is required to publish the number that was equal to 5% of the local government electors in the authority's area as shown in the register of electors having effect on 15 February each year.
The number that is equal to 5% of the number of local government electors in the revised version of the electoral registers for the London Borough of Hounslow having effect on 15 February 2008 was 8,623 (the verification number).
The minimum number of signatures therefore (equivalent to 5% of the borough's local government electorate) is 8,623.
The above number will apply to any petition submitted to the borough council before 1 April 2009. However, a new number will be published in February 2009 and if the new number is less than 8,623 then the new number will apply from the date it is published.