On September 15, Rye Town Council will be using the co-option procedure to appoint a successor to Rebekah Gilbert, who resigned on July 2 2025. After a process of advertising the position, five candidates have put themselves forward as prospective Councillors: Simon Bowler, Firat Bozyel, Lyn Dutton, Dena Smith Ellis and Owen Thompson.
What happens in the co-option process?
The co-option process is used for filling councillor vacancies that occur more than six months before a scheduled election. After the application deadline passes, the council follows a structured, transparent procedure to appoint a new member.
Eligible applicants have been invited to attend the council meeting on September 15 at which the vacancy will be filled. Each candidate may speak for up to three minutes in alphabetical order, outlining their reasons for applying and what they would bring to the role. Councillors can then ask up to three questions per candidate. The chair will ensure that all questions are fair and relevant.
Voting is carried out by signed ballot and conducted publicly. If there are multiple candidates, the one with the fewest votes in each round is eliminated until a candidate secures an absolute majority. In the case of a tie, the chair may use a casting vote. If not, the decision will be made by the toss of a coin, overseen by the town clerk.
Once appointed, the successful candidate signs a Declaration of Acceptance of Office and immediately joins the council meeting.
All aspects of the co-option procedure are conducted in public to ensure openness and accountability.
Can anyone participate, and should I come?
Co-option is an open, democratic process and members of the public are encouraged to attend the meeting. Rye Town Council is the closest elected body to the residents and businesses in Rye, and the council has a range of responsibilities in representing and promoting the town interests to other public bodies and external organisations. They also run some public services.
With the upcoming changes to local government that are currently being planned and implemented over the next two years, a strong and committed local council will be an important element in the future of Rye. Rye News continues to encourage public participation in local democracy, as does the town council, and so this is an opportunity to see it in action.
What about the candidates?
Rye News believes that the residents of Rye should be fully informed in all areas of council activity, and how councillors will represent their interests as Rye develops and changes now, and into the future. This is particularly relevant with major housing projects being planned, a challenging economic environment, significant political restructuring in Sussex and the challenges of climate change … along with the day-to-day management of the town. As such, we offered the opportunity to all the candidates to make a public statement about their candidacy via the opinions section of the newspaper this week.
And the future?
Along with the rest of the council, the new councillor will serve until the next planned election in around two years. At this point the entire council will be up for (re)election, along with the new Sussex mayor and whatever other structure is decided to democratically represent Sussex.
Information on this, and future, meetings will be published on the Rye Town Council website
Image Credits: Peter Connock/Kt bruce .