In Hyogo Prefecture's Kasai City, Mayor Haruhiko Takahashi recently proposed a measure to reduce the number of city council members from 15 to 12. This proposal was voted down unanimously by the city council's General Affairs Committee on the 12th. The number of council seats has remained unchanged since 2011, and typically, such decisions regarding council size are made internally within the council itself. A special committee had previously conducted a review in 2023, concluding that the current number of seats should be maintained.

Mayor Takahashi argued for the reduction citing potential issues with odd-numbered votes leading to ties excluding the chairperson, noting that nearby cities such as Ono and Kato had successfully reduced their council sizes. He also pointed to a diminishing pool of candidates eager to take up council positions. To address this issue, he coupled the proposal with an increase in council member salaries from 350,000 yen to 400,000 yen, a figure that exceeds a recent advisory committee's recommendation of 375,000 yen.

During the committee meeting, several council members expressed strong opposition to the proposal. Concerns raised included perceptions that the mayor's proposal was confrontational and that reducing the number of members would hinder the council's ability to represent resident voices effectively. Ultimately, the proposal was decisively rejected with a vote of 0 in favor and 6 against. The committee also moved to reject the associated salary increase proposal for special positions including the mayor. In an interview following the meeting, Takahashi expressed disappointment that his views were not understood and stated he might reintroduce the salary increment proposal alone, although the timing remains uncertain.