Saltdean residents will have to wait until next year to vote on whether they want to be part of Brighton and Hove or Lewes.
A referendum scheduled for this month has been postponed because of delays in sending out voting forms.
Saltdean is currently controlled by Brighton and Hove Council in the west, and Lewes District, Telscombe Town and East Sussex County councils in the east.
Residents in east Saltdean pay more council tax than virtually anywhere else in East Sussex because they pay charges to three different levels of local government. In the west there is just one payment to Brighton and Hove Council.
The poll will be a test of public opinion on an issue which has been the subject of much debate in Saltdean.
Don Burrell, chairman of Saltdean Residents' Association, said: "We like to do things properly and this postponement will give us more time."
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