A MIDDLEHAM town councillor has vowed to resign immediately if she is re-elected alongside the current membership.

Tammi Tolhurst claims the council is undemocratic, bars the public from some discussions unnecessarily and fails to keep accurate minutes. She says the fact that meetings could go on until 1am also deters people from attending.

The mayor, who chairs the meetings, has vehemently denied that the council operates in anything but a legal and acceptable manner.

Coun Tolhurst and fellow member Coun Max Holland have attempted to complain officially to the local government ombudsman but have been told that she does not investigate authorities below district level.

The pair are considering lobbying their MP William Hague over the lack of channels through which to direct complaints against town and parish councils.

Coun Tolhurst, who was elected to the town council in May last year, said she had been on the point of resignation several times.

"I will stand again in May but, if I am elected and current members are re-elected, I will resign immediately," she said. "I am not putting myself through this for five years."

Coun Tolhurst approached the Standards Board about the town council but was told it only handled complaints about specific councillors and not entire authorities. Coun Holland has since written to the board.

Coun Tolhurst said the council's minutes were inaccurate and sometimes failed to include items which had been discussed. She claimed she was prevented from raising an objection to the last set of minutes being approved.

Details of a named vote had not been included in line with local government guidelines and there were other anomalies, she said.

"Anything the council wishes to discuss that they don't want the public to know about, they go into private session," she alleged. "I constantly vote against this. People need to know what the council is doing on their behalf. It would stop all the rumour, innuendo and chit-chat and people would know what was going on."

She urged people to ensure they voted at the local elections in May. "People often grumble about things but they don't always get on their feet and do something about it. The local elections are their chance to change things."

Coun Anne Williamson, the mayor, hit back strongly at Coun Tolhurst's allegations.

"Members of the public are never asked to leave unless there are genuine grounds," she said. "In these circumstances, we put a resolution to the council and if a majority think an item should go into closed session, then it does."

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