THE NEW AUTHORITY
Between 6th July 1973 and 31st March 1974, Kenilworth had officially become a parish council, with 1st April, being the start of the new council. During a meeting on 11th April, the Town Clerk was appointed the ‘Proper’ officer under the title of Clerk of the Council, with the effect from 2nd April. The salary being £750 per annum. The Clerk’s private telephone quarterly rental would also be paid for the cost of the appropriate number of local calls. Also available to the Clerk was a part-time ‘clerked’ assistant on a salary of £200 per annum, if needed.
The First Annual Meeting
The first Annual meeting of the Kenilworth Town Council (KTC) took place at the castle gatehouse on Tuesday 7th May. There were principally two main issues to resolve. Firstly, to fill two vacancies, and secondly, to choose the new Mayor of the town.
The Vacancy Problem
Due to the death of Leonard Smalley (Castle ward) and the resignation of Thomas Litterick (St John’s), because he didn’t agree about the present councillors being automatically transfered to the new authority, he believed a poll should have taken place.
As there were no set rules for filling ‘casual vacancies’, the new council had to decide how they would go about it, and there was much debate at the meeting regarding the best resolution. Members of the public would assume that by-elections would take place, but this was apparently not possible. The traditions among many parish councils, of much longer standing than Kenilworth, was to co-opt the runners-up from the previous election.
No By-Elections Allowed
The Clerk of the Council, Leslie Hibbard, informed the meeting, that no election by poll of new councillors, could take place before 31st December 1975. Cllr Helen Dore said; “Many people in the town think the democratic way of doing things would be for the public to elect their representatives at a public meeting. But I consider the fairest way to do it would be to accept the runners-up in the respective wards from the last election”.
Show Of Hands or Secret Ballot?
One suggestion was, that there be a secret ballot, the other, a show of hands. But some members were not in favour of a show of hands, preferring to conceal their individual preferencies from the public who were present.
Tory Cllr Rawnsley moved that co-option should take place by a secret ballot, but Labour Cllr Webster had the opposite view, saying there should be a show of hands, so that people could see who individual councillors were supporting. But Cllr Webster’s motion was lost by a vote amongst the members – by a show of hands.
Ian Milligan for the Tories was elected to Castle ward and Bill Wozencroft for Labour at St. John’s.
Castle Ward
| Candidate | Votes |
| Ian Milligan (Con) | 7 |
| Eleanor Hogarth | 3 |
| Harry Sunley | 3 |
| Dora Greenway | 1 |
St John’s Ward
| Candidate | Votes |
| Bill Wozencroft (Lab) | 7 |
| Harry Sunley | 6 |
| Eleanor Hogarth | 2 |
| Terence Rogers | 1 |
| Richard Monnington | 0 |
| Hugh Martyr | 0 |
The First Mayor of Kenilworth
Oaks Road resident, Jack Cox, was overwelming voted the new Mayor of Kenilworth. Former chairman Kenneth Hogarth handed over the chain saying this was the last link between the old KUDC and the new authority and effectively was saying goodbye to the chairmanship, which had stood for 80 years. Mrs Peggy Cox, the Mayor’s wife, became the Mayoress.
Kenilworth Town Councillors
15 Conservatives (I. Milligan, K. Hogarth, Florence Adcock, D. Charlton, J. Cox, E. Evans, S. Harrison, D. Moore, H. Potts, K. Rawnsley, T. Robinson, Joan Salkeld, L. Wiles. R. Stansfield, H. Whiteman)
2 Labour (W. Wozencroft, C. Webster)
1 Liberal (Helen Dore)
Mayors
1974-75 Jack Cox
1975-76 Harry Potts
Town Clerk – Mr Leslie Hibbard
Subsequent co-opted members
1975 (10th June) – Patrica Adams replaced Joan Salkeld