Dear Leader of Kent County Council, Cllr Roger Gough

The Government has announced plans to change the way that local councils are run across Kent by introducing a city-style mayor who would oversee a combined council, concentrating all services across the area.

We are worried that, if this happens, it would mean the death of democracy in Kent. People would not be properly represented. Local councillors know their area and work hard for the people they represent. This proposed change would deprive people of that 'ground-level' representation by local councillors. 

We think the proposal is undemocratic because there has been no public consultation, so the people of Kent have no chance to have their say on major changes to the way they are represented locally. 

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We think that the proposed White Paper on Local Government Reorganisation threatens the "Local" in "Local Government" by: 

• introducing an undemocratically elected mayor to preside over Kent,
• merging 14 councils across Kent and Medway into 3 or 4 unitary authoritaries,
• cancelling the 2025 Kent County Council elections, resulting in unelected councillors rolling out the new government structure, and
• reducing the power of communities to influence local decision making on important matters such as planning.

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The current local government set-up in Kent is effective in serving our communities and the proposed changes are not necessary. We are concerned that the changes could disrupt the ability of councils to provide services for years whilst the new structure is implemented. We are also concerned about the additional costs of this reorganisation on already stretched communities.

These proposed changes don't consider the needs of our local communities across Kent and our work for a more sustainable society. BIGGER is not always better, and smaller local councils are more connected to the people they represent. The current system gives more chances for our voices to be heard and make change for the better.

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Please act boldly and in the interests of the people of Kent, not political parties, and reject the Local Government Reorganisation Proposal for Kent to save local democracy for the people of Kent.

Thank you,
From residents of Kent as signed below.