A third of the seats in Walsall were up for election this year. Find out more about these elections.
| Party | Elected in 2018 | Total councillors | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
|
PartyConservative |
Elected in 2018 13 | Total councillors 30 | Change+5 |
|
PartyLabour |
Elected in 2018 7 | Total councillors 26 | Change-2 |
|
PartyIndependent |
Elected in 2018 1 | Total councillors 2 | ChangeNo results |
|
PartyLiberal Democrat |
Elected in 2018 0 | Total councillors 2 | ChangeNo results |
|
PartyUKIP |
Elected in 2018 0 | Total councillors 0 | Change-3 |
| Councillors change compared with 2014 | |||
| Type | Metropolitan District Council |
|---|---|
| Seats up for election | 21 out of 60 |
| Boundary change | No |
Hundreds of jobs could be lost at Walsall Council as it tries to save £20m from its budget next year.
The local authority has already saved more than £170m since 2010.
Council tax is due to go up by almost 3%, but further savings could include scrapping schemes such as free personal alarms for the elderly.
Youth and library services will also be reviewed, said the council.
Clearing up illegally discarded waste cost more than £400,000 last year, a council says.
Read moreSkips could be placed on the streets of Walsall in a bid to tackle the problem of fly-tipping in the area, the council has announced.
Cleaning up illegally dumped rubbish is costing the authority more than £400,000 a year, it said.
The council says it fears waste on the road could lead to a serious accident.
There will also be trials of longer tip opening hours and free bulky waste collections.
A charity says it is "disgusted" by comments "filled with hate and based upon generalisations".
Read more
Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
The Chief Executive of Walsall Council is to recieve a £10,000 pay rise, after less than a year in the job.
It takes Dr Helen Paterson's salary to £175,000 a year, while three other executive directors will get a rise of more than £7,000.
The leader left Wrexham County Borough Council to join Walsall in November.
While she will earn more than the prime minister, her pay package is substantially lower than her predecessor and the council points out that is it comparable with chief executives at other authorities.
The need for talented senior officers remains strong in the local government sector. It is therefore a necessity that the council remains competitive in the market to attract and retain skilled individuals to manage and deliver the council's vision."
Police sniffer dogs were called out in one instance when drugs paraphernalia was found.
Read moreRob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
Walsall Council is to start drug testing its employees after a number of incidents where drugs paraphernalia was found in staff areas.
The council says it's called in police sniffer dogs four times in the past two years to try and find out who was responsible.
There have been seven incidents where drug or alcohol use could have impacted on safety or performance at work, the authority says.
The council will become the fifth local authority to bring in random testing. If an employee refuses, a positive result will be recorded and they could face disciplinary action.
The government says staff can't be forced to take a test, but an employer can sanction them if they've got a good reason for doing the test in the first place, such as safety.
Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
The Conservatives have taken control of Walsall Council with Mike Bird as leader for the fifth time.
Local elections earlier this month left the Conservatives as the largest party, but just failing to claim a majority, with 30 out of 60 councillors.
They were able to oust Labour after the Conservative Mayor Marco Longhi controversially voted, along with fellow Tories, for himself to stay on for a second year, the first time it’s happened since 1948.
It meant he was able to hand power back to his own party, when a vote on who should run the authority was tied at 30-30.
Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
The Conservatives are set to take control of Walsall Council after a controversial vote which saw their choice for mayor stay in the job for a second year.
Conservative councillor Marco Longhi used his casting vote to stay in the role - something which council officials say hasn't happened since 1948.
Walsall Council is finely balanced following the local elections, with 30 Conservative councillors on one side, and a coalition of 30 Labour, Liberal Democrats and Independents on the other.
It means in the event of a tie, the Mayor is legally obliged to use a casting vote to take a decision.
At the end of the day the people out there voted for change, they didn't vote for who was going to be mayor. We saw a 25% increase in the vote for the Conservative Party at the local elections and that is why we have had to make this move, which believe me was with a heavy heart."
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom Dare
The Conservative party looks set to take over a seat on the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) board after announcing plans to take control of Walsall Council.
It was revealed on Friday that Mike Bird, leader of the Walsall Conservative group, will instruct councillors to vote against the appointment of a new Mayor in Walsall later today.
The vote would mean that a Conservative Mayor will remain in control, effectively giving the Conservatives a casting vote, despite only holding 30 of the 60 seats on the council.
In the event of a tie, the Mayor has the deciding vote.