A by-election is being held in Ramsey for a new commissioner.

Residents wishing to put themselves forward have from January 31 until 1pm on February 7 to submit their nomination papers.

Forms can be found on the commissioner’s website and must be sent to the Clerk, Tim Cowin, at the town hall.

If two or more people come forward, an election will take place at the beginning of March.

The vacancy has arisen due to the death of Leonard Singer.

Mr Singer was elected to the town’s commissioners three times, his latest term starting in July 2021.

He was also an MHK, being elected to the House of Keys in 1996, serving until 2003 when he became an MLC.

Meanwhile, Patrick Commissioners have elected two new commissioners to the board.

Leo Cussons, of Bridge Street, Peel and Gordon Clague, of Sound Road, Glen Maye, were both elected unopposed.

Three members of the local authority resigned amidst the fallout of a report that found there was ‘maladministration’ in the way it was being run.

Geoffrey Gelling, Dr John Snelling and Richard Jones resigned back in November.

An investigation into the board by the Tynwald Commissioner of Administration found that there was maladministration at the local authority and claimed that a commissioner, called Commissioner X in the report, had had work carried out on Glen Rushen Road, under the guise of improvements sanctioned by the local authority, that benefitted him and two other landowners.

As the three members had quit, for a period the board was no longer quorate and therefore unable to sit.

There is still one unfilled seat on the Patrick Parish Commissioners board, which will likely be filled in the future.