Budget Cuts
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Posts
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Wonder if Councillors have ever thought that cutting their numbers would make substantial savings . A fifty percent cut would save £500,000 in salaries each and every year. Keeping the same number of Councillors but cut their salaries by fifty percent would also save £500,000. Councillors historically didn’t receive pay, are we any better served now than then ?
Wrexview, you make a good point. These forums have often mentioned the lack of influence the majority of councillors have on decision-making due to the executive model of local government. Furthermore, modern technology has altered the way councillors, and their constituents communicate with each other. Most communication is now through email, social media and such rather than a face-to-face meeting. Because of such changes, councillors can cover larger constituencies than in the past. I understand a small minority of people for various reasons do not use such technology, but due to the low numbers, face-to-face meetings with them remains feasible. I suspect the majority of face-to-face contact with local councillors is around the period a constituency during contested elections!
A different approach to reducing council tax bills is to consider the effectiveness of the local community councils more carefully. The local community councils have minimal powers. Community councils lack influence in local government decision making. A community council will often rely on that of the elected county borough councillor that already holds a seat at that level of local government. I accept that the amount of funding of community councils is lower than that of the county borough, but they do incur expenses, administrations costs, and need to employ a clerk. Removing all the community councils would lead to significant year-on-year savings.
I am frequently annoyed that increasingly the local community councils increased their council tax precept. They do not use it for administering and paying for few services under its jurisdiction. Instead, they provide donations to charities, sometimes tenuously linked to their wards, and grants to local organisations. I should not be forced to pay tax to support these donations and grants; it should be my decision if I want to contribute to them. I sometimes suspect that the photo opportunity influences community councils decisions to make such gifts. Historically, generous local representatives would make such gestures out of their pockets rather than enforcing tax-payers to do so by paying their community tax.
One of the reasons why there is such a disconnect between politicians and public is because too many of the public are poorly educated as to how politics works. Every year I hear the same rubbish about cutting the number of councillors, giving them all pay cuts and scrapping the mayor meaning there will be plenty of money about. Whilst I would be happy if all 3 happened, it would not stop budget cuts. The biggest thing is that councillors could not do any of that even if they wanted to. Decisions on councillor numbers, councillor pay and civic roles are the responsibility of the Welsh Government. So if you are really that desperate to see councillors hit, then lobby the AMs. I don
t rate most councillors but at least blame them for what they are responsible for, not what they cant do anything about.The only way councils will get more money, is when the UK government is finally in the Black in 3 to 6 years time?? then the money can be finally given back to us. Also we are paying 48 Billion in just interest payments each Year, but that will take over 50 years to pay off. Thank you Labour majority of the debt.
Another reason why we are short of money as a country is that the wealthiest do not pay the tax they owe, let alone their fair share of tax considering how much they benefit from living in the UK. If they did, the government would be in the black and we could argue over how best to spend the available funds, rather than as now, we argue over what we can do without. No one has yet explained how the UK can claim to be the 5th or 6th largest economy in the world and yet appear to be perennially short of cash.
Some community councils are delivering or paying for services that used to be delivered or paid for the county council so don’t be surprised if the county council has passed on the bill. At the end of the day there are no free lunches, someone has to pay.
MPs didn’t historically receive pay either. If you don’t pay for your politicians then you will only get people who can afford to do the job for free (or who have flexible jobs e.g. barristers, doctors, city types, self-employed business people and landowners or an income e.g. the retired and the independently wealthy) – we can argue over whether that would attract a better type of person or not to serve as councillors, AMs and MPs. there are arguments for both sides.
newwales – UK National Debt in March 2010 (just as Labour left office at the height of the financial crisi) was £1.076 trillion.
UK National Debt now after 9 years under the party of financial competence is £2.17 trillion. This equals £59,000 for every taxpayer in the UK and is rising by £3,500 PER SECOND. This useless Tory government has cut the UK National Debt to twice what it was 9 years ago.The reason we have these thumping great council budget cuts is because George Osborne took them forward as part of the Tory austerity programme.
I do admire the way they seem to have created this illusion that it’s all some sort of natural disaster that’s happened in a vacuum, though.
So the Green Bin tax has been approved and with a 45% uptake will create £500,000 income. How much of that will be spent on administration and cleaning up extra fly tipping? These figures must have been given to Councillors so that made an informed decision! Why do the Council believe 5% more people in Wrexham will pay up than Flintshire residents ?
[quote quote=171559]So the Green Bin tax has been approved and with a 45% uptake will create £500,000 income. How much of that will be spent on administration and cleaning up extra fly tipping? These figures must have been given to Councillors so that made an informed decision! Why do the Council believe 5% more people in Wrexham will pay up than Flintshire residents ?[/quote]
I am buying a goat go cut my crass and putting his poop in my black bin.
A lot of Flintshire people are dumping their green waste by the roadside saying that it will be composted. Cannot fault that logic.
You are right that the admin and cleaning up operations will probably eat the savings. On the Tweet feed they are moaning about fly tipping without the green bin problems.
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