Here are the stories that featured in the International Spotlight segment of the latest episode of the Local Government News Roundup – episode #79.
Two government commissioners have been installed at Slough Borough Council, in south east England, following a review into the governance and finances of the council which found problems stretching back several years.
The commissioners will oversee and assist with the council’s recovery and renewal plan.
Council Leader, James Swindlehurst, says the council has been working to identify savings over summer, reducing large budget gaps in the current and coming financial years, but that the council remains in a challenging financial position.
The government announced the appointment of the lead commissioner Max Caller and finance commissioner Margaret Lee on Wednesday, and they were on deck at the council the following day. Source: Slough Borough Council
Leicester City Council, in the East Midlands region of England, will spend upwards of £26M to acquire 371 homes from the private sector to reduce the number of people on the housing waiting list.
The homes are being bought using a £100M fund the council has created to address an affordable housing crisis.
There are currently more than 5,300 applicants waiting for homes to become available in the city. Source: BBC News
The next mayor of the City of Atlanta has been decided, with Andre Dickens winning a runoff election last week.
He outpolled 20 year council veteran Felicia Moore, who was seen as the frontrunner after polling the most votes by a wide margin in the first round of voting last month.
Dickens has been a councillor since 2013, and has campaigned on addressing crime and affordable housing in a city that has seen a 67 per cent increase in killings over the past two years. Source: NBC News