SALTASH taxpayers are facing a potential £12,000 by-election bill after town councillors voted to issue polling cards for a possible contest in Trematon ward.

The move, approved during Thursday’s full council meeting, adds around £4,000 to the cost of any election triggered to replace former councillor Gordon McCaw, who resigned last month.

Mr McCaw stepped down less than a year after being co-opted onto Saltash town council in June 2025. In a lengthy resignation statement, he criticised what he called a lack of willingness within the authority to pursue “meaningful change”.

Councillors debated at their monthly meeting whether polling cards were worth the extra expense.

Those backing the proposal argued they were vital for informing residents across the ward’s scattered rural communities about where and how to vote, while supporters also said the cards would help avoid confusion over ward boundaries and polling stations.

Opponents insisted the spending was unnecessary, stressing polling cards are not legally required for parish-level elections. Some warned the authority risked wasting thousands of pounds of public money on an election likely to attract only a small turnout.

A formal notice issued by Cornwall Council Electoral Services states that a by-election will only take place if ten electors from Trematon ward formally request one by June 10.

Applications must be submitted in writing – either by hand or post – to the Proper Officer at County Hall in Truro. If enough requests are received, an election must be held no later than August 12.

If no request is made, the council will instead fill the vacancy through co-option, avoiding the cost of a public vote altogether.

Thursday’s outcome means local taxpayers could now foot a five-figure bill for a single vacant seat on the town council at a time when local authority budgets remain under pressure.