Who runs Bourne?

THE ADMINISTRATION of our local affairs dates back to the village meetings of early times and it is barely a hundred years since the last of them, the vestry meetings, were replaced by elected councils. Their formation, particularly the parish council, has now become an integral part of our life yet can be traced back over the centuries through the development of our villages to Saxon and Norman times.

One thousand years ago, communications were poor and central government often weak and so there was little national control. As a result, the Lord of the Manor usually controlled the villages. Eventually, he was joined by the parish priest and sometimes the schoolmaster and between them they established a kind of ruling clique because in small villages they were likely to be the only people who could read and write.

By the early 17th century, vestry meetings were being held in the parish church after Sunday morning service, dealing with church affairs as well as looking after the old, the poor and the infirm, appointing church wardens, sextons and even village constables. Their authority became so complete that it was quite natural for them to be given the responsibility of levying the poor rate, the first effective local taxes. The earliest assessments were written into the account books kept by churchwardens and parish overseers. They usually gave the householder's name and the amount payable for his property. Later, printed books were used, listing the houses street by street, the value of the property, the householder's name and the amount assessed.

The squire, the parson and sometimes the schoolmaster, were still the leaders in the village in the late 19th century but popular education was spreading and more people wanted a say in managing local affairs and this was achieved through the 1894 Local Government Act, championed in Parliament by the Prime Minister, William Gladstone, and so parish councils were formed putting the administration of our affairs at local level in the hands of elected councillors.

In Bourne, our own parish council began in 1894 but was superseded by Bourne Urban District Council in 1899 which continued for the next 75 years until local government reorganisation of 1974 when it was given special status as a town council with the power to elect a mayor. This privilege is purely decorative and has no more authority than any other parish council while effective control of the town’s affairs now rests firmly with the district and county authorities. All are financed through the council tax which is levied annually on home owners according to the size of their properties, the bulk of it going to the county council with a lesser amount to the district council and a token sum to the town council.

Lincolnshire County Council is in overall control of roads, schools and libraries, the fire brigade and the police authority, social services, museums and art galleries, emergency planning and many other spheres of activity. The council, based in Lincoln, has 77 elected members, all of whom are paid through a system of allowances, and has a workforce of more than 12,000 people making it the biggest employer in the county.

South Kesteven District Council is responsible for housing, waste, leisure and recreation, land use and planning applications. The council is based in Grantham and has 58 elected members, all of whom are paid through a system of allowances, and employs more than 700 people.

Bourne Town Council has limited powers, confined to the Christmas lights, the cemetery, street names and similar parochial issues, but it does have an input into all planning matters affecting the town and its members are usually the first to be approached by anyone with a problem or a complaint. The authority employs five people and there are 15 elected councillors, none of whom are paid, and who nominate a chairman each year, in order of seniority, who also becomes mayor.

The term mayor is an ancient one but today is mainly ornamental and involves taking the chair at council meetings and attending public functions as a representative of the town council, garden fetes, concerts, dinners, coffee mornings, and the like, and therefore involves a constant round of meeting people and shaking hands, culminating with the Civic Ball at the end of the term. Nevertheless, the office of Mayor of Bourne is a sign of achievement of effort in local affairs and one that is within the reach of everyone if they feel sufficiently dedicated to help their community by becoming a member of the town council, an opportunity that is open to all.

PAST MAYORS OF BOURNE
1974 Percy Wilson* 1974-75 Mrs Margaret Cooper 1975-76 Ray Cliffe 1976-77 Michael Taylor 1977-78 Ronald Alexander 1978-79 John Smith 1979-80 Mrs Shirley Cliffe 1980-81 George W Houghton 1981-82 Malcolm Burton Jones 1982-83 Norman Thwaite 1983-84 Don Fisher 1984-85 Mrs Marjorie Clark 1985-86 John Kirkman 1986-87 Richard Reeve 1987 Sydney Pegden* 1987-88 John Wright 1988-89 Monty Burton 1989-90 Mrs Mary Parker 1990-91 Stan Pease 1991-92 Ray Cliffe	1992-93 Mrs Janet Sauter 1993-94 Peter Garner 1994-95 Mrs Lesley Patrick 1995-96 Alan Jones 1996-97 John Smith 1997-98 Mrs Shirley Cliffe 1998-99 Don Fisher 1999-00 Mrs Marjorie Clark 2000-01 John Kirkman 2001-02 Alan Jones 2002-03 Mrs Norma Woolley 2003-04 Trevor Holmes 2004-05 Mrs Petronella Moisey 2005-06 Mrs Judy Smith 2006-07 Brian Fines 2007-08 Ms Jane Kingman Pauley 2008-09 Shirley Cliffe 2009-10 Trevor Holmes 2010-11 Mrs Petronella Moisey 2011-12 Mrs Brenda Johnson
* During council changeover Died in office 26th January 1987 * From February to May

BOURNE TOWN COUNCIL