Cost may be the deciding factor in whether Maidstone council should revert to the old-style committee system of governance, instead of the current cabinet-system.

A majority of councillors voted in September for representatives from all parties to bring forward a plan to scrap the cabinet system.

Under the current structure, the ruling Conservative cabinet’s decision is final, and although there could be a challenge via scrutiny committee, the ultimate power rests with the responsible cabinet member.

The finer details of a committee system and potential cost implications are yet to be thrashed out, but it would be politically representative and decisions could be overruled at full council.

But Cllr Annabelle Blackmore (Con), who would lose her position as leader of the council if the change were implemented, said cost was an issue.

She said: “Is this the right time to be spending a lot of money to convert from the current system to a new system, when frankly we’ve got a lot of other issues to deal with?”

She said with committees, officers’ time could be expected to increase.

Cllr Blackmore said: “We have to trim nearly a million pounds from our budget next year. To have additional costs could affect our ability to provide frontline services.”

But Lib Dem group leader Cllr Fran Wilson said Cllr Blackmore was premature.

She said: “The parties are still discussing what the set-up for a new committee system would be. Until we have decided how many committees to have, it is impossible to cost, but my group believes a change would be cost-neutral or even save money.”

Cllr Blackmore argued for the current system, saying: “When the cabinet makes a decision, any two members can call in that decision and a scrutiny committee will look at it.

“If you go to the committee system there is no call-in. A decision can be made and that’s it. It cannot be changed.

“That is not democratic.”

Again Cllr Wilson had a different view. She said: “At present, scrutiny committees make recommendations to the cabinet who are then under no obligation to accept them.

“Just six people make all the decisions. That is not democratic.”