Section 36(4) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 provides that all expenditure properly incurred by a Returning Officer in relation to the holding of an election of a councillor shall be paid by that council. This provision is subject to expenditure not exceeding a scale fixed by the council.

The council has previously set a scale and the purpose of this decision is to update that scale so that it does not fetter the Returning Officer's ability to organise the election of District Councillors on 4 May 2023 (and beyond). The same scale shall apply separately to Parish Councillors to be elected.

In accordance with Part 3.8.1 of the Council's Constitution, the determination of the scale has followed consultation with the Chairman of the Council. The Chairman agreed to the proposals to be introduced by this decision.

It is anticipated that the scale set out in this decision can be fully funded in 2023/24 by virtue of budgetary decisions in 2022/23.

To determine the scale to apply to expenditure properly incurred by a Returning Officer in relation to the holding of an election of a councillor that shall be paid by that council.

The option of making no change to the scale approved in 2019 was considered and rejected based on experience from several electoral events since the District Council elections that year.