Local News

Mayor Takehara Shinichi of Akune, Kagoshima Prefecture, is embroiled in a long-running dispute with City Council over city governance issues. Chief among them is his decision to shift from a salary system to a per diem system for the payment of council members, which will reduce their income by 90%. He has ruled by executive order since then, saying that the council is a waste of time. The mayor convened the first meeting in four months for a special two-day session. Though a majority of the council is opposed to the mayor, they earlier voted against a no-confidence motion because that would require a special election, and it is generally assumed the citizens would back the mayor because of his cost-cutting measures. Recently, however, a citizens’ group has collected the required number of signatures to hold a recall election.