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Councillors have been asked to consider axing the position of mayor, as Caerphilly County Borough Council continues to try and reduce its budget shortfall.

The move would save Caerphilly County Borough Council around £30k a year, the local authority has claimed.

The current mayor’s salary is listed as £27,999 and members who are in the role do not get paid their usual councillor’s allowance of £18,666. Therefore the net saving by abolishing the position is closer to £9,000, excluding pension contributions and National Insurance costs.

A decision is set to be made during the council’s annual general meeting next Thursday (May 8), where deputy mayor Dawn Ingram-Jones could become the borough’s final mayor.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer about the potential cut, current mayor Julian Simmonds said: “It’s a lovely role. I see it as a bridge between the council and residents.

“I’ve got one week left and it’s set to be a busy one with all the VE Day activities. I’ve found it such a varied position which could see you at a 100th birthday one day, and a 70th wedding anniversary the next.

“The reality is we’re seeing more and more councils move in this direction, but I’m not sure what plans are in place for those events the mayor would normally attend.”

The council has said if it were to remove the position of mayor, this would come into effect from 2026/27 – meaning deputy mayor Cllr Ingram Jones would hold the position for one final year.

Cllr Simmonds continued: “It would be missed. It’s the human face of the council which can go a long way.”

Jamie Pritchard, deputy leader of the council, said the proposal demonstrated that savings were being made on the “political side” of the council following £900k worth of savings from a senior management shake-up announced earlier this year.

He said: “We see these changes as an integral part of the transformation programme the council is undertaking. If we are making savings, it was only right we had to look at officers at the top of the organisation.

“The proposal for the ceasing of the mayoral role would be a political change, which will also demonstrate savings are being made on the political side.

“There is always a balance to be made, but we believe the proposed changes are fair to the public, given the extremely difficult financial position we’re in.”

Independent councillor for Blackwood, Nigel Dix, has argued removing the role of mayor would be a good thing – if the money saved is put back into services.

He said: “At a time where costs are on the up, be it council tax or other bills, I think we do need to make savings where we can.

“We can survive without a mayor, whose ceremonial position can be taken-up by ward councillors. I’m not sure there’s a great appetite for the position within Labour anyway, as we do often see the same faces take up the role.

“I’d much rather see that money put towards community safety wardens or something like that.”

Lindsay Whittle, leader of Plaid Cymru in Caerphilly, has pushed back on the removal of a mayor however, questioning whether the borough was being “diminished” by scrapping the position.

He said: “When I was leader of the authority we did change the role from mayor to chair. We were wrong and changed our minds. When the mayoral role was restored, I witnessed how many people regarded it in high esteem compared to the chair.

“I’ve observed on many occasions older residents, and younger ones too, enjoying a visit from the mayor with the regalia on special days, events, wedding anniversaries and even 100-year-old birthdays.

“The mayor is easily identifiable as the civic head and brings a sense of pride and what happens when we have visiting VIPs? Is Caerphilly diminished by not having a mayor?”

On a lack of ‘variety’ when appointing a new mayor, Cllr Whittle added: “I gather Labour may have had problems filling the mayoral role which does involve a huge commitment. Well, if that’s the case they could open the role out to other parties.”

Last year councillors agreed to create a new position of ‘presiding member’, taking over the duties of the mayor in chairing council meetings.