Martin Cook, council lead for resources, told the meeting that although cancelling elections did not sit well with any councillor, it was necessary to ensure the smooth transition into the new unitary authorities.
He described any Ipswich election in May as a “meaningless token” for councillors who would serve for a short amount of time and with no real power.
“Elections are important, democracy is important, but both of those things have to be responsive to change,” he added.
Oliver Holmes, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said although the government’s timeline for the new unitary councils was unrealistic, cancelling the elections was not acceptable.
He described elections as a “fundament process” that should go ahead.