Do we really want Sheffield to take over our Transport, Major Planning Investments - and more.
Read below what this means.
There is also a link at the bottom of the page which gives more information.
Our Leader, Councillor Anne Western has warned "There's no easy way back" if radical proposals to hand over some council services in Chesterfield to a powerful Sheffield mayor become a reality.
Chesterfield Borough Council wants to become a full member of a group of councils know as Sheffield City Region Combined Authority which will be led by a South Yorkshire Mayor to be elected in May next year.
This would mean that in Chesterfield we would have to hand over responsibility to the Mayor and combined authority for:
major roads
funding for maintenance and road safety on all roads in the borough
public transport
travel concessions (Gold Card and b_line)
skills for employment
major planning and investment projects.
The Government's Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government will decide whether to approve the plans.
But before a decision is made Sheffield City Region is asking people what they think about the plans which we're opposing because:
Chesterfield is better-off than most of Sheffield and South Yorkshire which means the borough could be at the back of the queue for money from Sheffield City Region.
The plans will add another layer of local government in Chesterfield and make council services complicated and inefficient.
Many council services in Chesterfield are better than those in Sheffield and South Yorkshire but this could change if these plans go ahead.
Some decisions about Chesterfield's future would be taken by either a Sheffield City Mayor or combined authority. This means Sheffield and South Yorkshire councils would have a say on things like how much money is spent on maintaining roads in Chesterfield and funding for projects to help regenerate the borough.
Councils in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster together with a Sheffield City Region Mayor would each have two votes on joint-decisions affecting Chesterfield's future but Chesterfield Borough Council and ourselves would only have one vote each. We would be forced to join Sheffield City Region if Chesterfield became a full member.
Chesterfield's fortunes would be tied to a 30 year plan for Sheffield City Region but the only investment outlined for the borough so far is for the first few years.
Changes to services may be bad news for people living in other parts of Derbyshire because the Sheffield City Region Mayor may have little regard for residents in neighbouring Derbyshire districts. For example, it's possible a Sheffield City Region Mayor could change bus routes in the borough and the frequency of bus services which could make these communities more isolated.
It's a leap in the dark − No other council in the country has joined forces with a combined authority outside their county border.
It could be the thin end of the wedge with the potential for more powers being handed down in the future giving a Sheffield City Region Mayor and combined authority responsibility for making even more decisions about Derbyshire and more influence over Derbyshire people.
Our Leader, Councillor Anne Western said:
"This is a huge decision which could affect Derbyshire's largest town and beyond for generations to come. It could mean the end of Derbyshire as an administrative county.
"But it's not a done deal − the final decision rests with the Secretary of State. So if you don't want a Mayor and councils from Sheffield and South Yorkshire making decisions that affect Chesterfield and the rest of Derbyshire, it's important that you have your say to help keep Derbyshire together."
http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/news_events/news-updates/2016/july/news_items/help_keep_derbyshire_together_have_your_say.asp