A meeting on Tuesday will decide if Exeter holds council elections as scheduled in May, or if they will be delayed.
Councils have until Thursday to ask the government to postpone elections due to take place in May until 2027 while a massive reorganisation of local government is taking place, involving the abolition of all district and county councils.
The report prepared by the Labour-run Exeter City Council said cancelling the elections would free up staff and financial resources for “the work required to prepare for the transition to new unitary councils”.
Other parties have spoken out against the possibility of elections being cancelled.
The elections in May would be for 13 of the 39 Exeter City Council seats – and could change the political direction of the city.
The council is currently controlled by Labour with 22 seats but power could change hands if elections go ahead.
Plymouth City Council could also have requested the cancellation of elections but chose not to.
Whatever the result of the May elections for a third of the seats in Plymouth, Labour will retain control of the council.
