Douglas By-Election – If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain.

Douggie Butties – you have an opportunity to participate in the Douglas council democratic process!A Douglas council by-election is taking place tomorrow, Thursday (9th August). The election is an opportunity for a representative to grab a seat on the council to represent Derby Ward after Mr Ferdinand Pabellan recently stepped down due to ill health.The successful candidate will join Councillor Ms Debbie Pitts and Mr Councillor Colin Cain in representing the Ward.The person elected will serve until April 2020, which coincides with the next general election of councillors.

So what is Douglas Council?

Douglas Borough Council is a body of elected representatives, who have the power to decide which services they provide and what charges should be levied via the rates we pay.The council consists of 18 members, representing six wards. They meet monthly on policy matters.

What does the Council do?

It manages an annual budget of £11 million, and decides on the services the people of Douglas should receive.In addition to this, it has a social housing stock of over 2,300 properties and spends a further £13 million in that area.

What is the Derby Ward?

The Derby Ward covers some central residential areas. Check out the Green Map below to see if you reside in the area and are eligible to vote;

Who is standing?

4 candidates are standing for election. If you live in the ward then you may have seen them canvassing;

Andrew John Bentley – Architect

Andrew is a member of the Isle of Man Green Party and lists; regeneration, parks and squares, waste and transport as priorities in his manifesto.

Charlton Lee John Krentz – Company Director

Charlton lists regeneration, waste and environment, community and parking as his main points of interest.

Claire Louise Newall – Civil Servant

Claire lists parking, dog excrement, accessibility and dilapidated properties as her priorities.

Amanda Jane Walker – Teacher

Amanda lists housing, planning and environment and leisure as key areas for action in her manifesto.You can download full manifestos for each of candidate here.

Where can I vote?

Polling will open at 8am and close at 8pm at Trinity Methodist School Rooms, Rosemount, Douglas.And remember guys….if you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain.var bannersnack_embed = {“hash”:”bv1cituzy”,”width”:672,”height”:280,”t”:1548757254,”userId”:38193901,”responsive”:true,”type”:”html5″};//cdn.bannersnack.com/iframe/embed.js