Difficult Decisions’ Budget Consultation
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Posts
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Just completed this as a good citizen (townizen?) and am feeling really downhearted.
Pros:
1. The council have deemed the people are worth listening to. Thank you.Cons:
1. Poorly designed questions
2. Poorly designed format
3. Not enough detail to make an informed decision – too much use of the word think; we “think this” and “we think that”. FFS you ought to know – you are the ones running this circus.
4. The page on being offended / excluded/ included / accessibility asked a multi choice question then gave provision for only one set of answers.
5. The whole consultation is just tinkering around the edges and not addressing the real issues which, IMHO, is that expenditure CANNOT be greater than income.The decision on council tax seems to have already been made by the elite in ‘guildhall towers’ its either 3% or 5% rise still we have deep pockets so no problem.
More money to pay consultants to give advice on where to make cuts ( sorry savings) just makes you wonder what our highly paid and experienced senior management actually do.
And will the council actually look and listen to any of the comments made by us who have taken the time to complete the document which I have to agree was a poorly designed format with poorly designed questions, remember the city status fiasco, majority not in favour which the council dismissed/ignored and went ahead with the application.
Asking to complete things like this is just ‘smoke and mirrors’ the decisions have already been made behind closed doors as we are all just cash cows to this council who seem to carry on regardless.Woogleeye, the only way to get your voice heard is to do like miserableoldbugger did and complete the survey!
Also, any rumours that PWC get a fiver per survey completed is a myth. They won’t get anything unless there is a ‘saving’ to be made!
Unsure if they get a cut of the 3% or 5% Council Tax rise though!
[quote quote=121320]Councillor X i have completed the survey as indicated in the comments i made.
[/quote]
Sorry woogleeye, I took my eye off the ball there.
They also could have made the questions simpler e.g. Do you want to pay more Council Tax or even more Council Tax? Do you want to pay PWC a mountain of money, a lake of money or a bottomless pit of money for stealing managers’ ideas?
How to save money? Give the councillors a 50% pay cut. They do rock all for this county but cost us close on a million pounds a year. of course it will never happen …hardly likely to vote themselves off the gravy train are they? The executive board are the idiots who allowed pwc into the county to rip wrexham off to the tune of 750k. If pwc did a good job then why are wrexham still asking the public how to save money?
I really dont know were the £750k figyre for PWC has come from the contract was 10% of savings £4.6 million on the 3 year programme to save £45 million — perhaops Clr Neil Rogers who was Leader of the Council at the time and authorised the contract may be prepared to shed some light–and of course Counciorl Andrew Bailey who cointrubutes to these forums was a member of the then Labour led Council that brought them in.. Cant blame Clr Pritchard for this one..
[quote quote=121355]How to save money? Give the councillors a 50% pay cut. They do rock all for this county but cost us close on a million pounds a year. of course it will never happen …hardly likely to vote themselves off the gravy train are they? The executive board are the idiots who allowed pwc into the county to rip wrexham off to the tune of 750k. If pwc did a good job then why are wrexham still asking the public how to save money?
[/quote]Jonathan, the Council are very open about expenses and looking at the Members Allowances page could you pinpoint anyone who doesn’t deserve their pay?
There are some who don’t even abuse the free car parking!
[quote quote=121363]I really dont know were the £750k figyre for PWC has come from the contract was 10% of savings £4.6 million on the 3 year programme to save £45 million — perhaops Clr Neil Rogers who was Leader of the Council at the time and authorised the contract may be prepared to shed some light–and of course Counciorl Andrew Bailey who cointrubutes to these forums was a member of the then Labour led Council that brought them in.. Cant blame Clr Pritchard for this one..
Hi Dylan , Thanks for your mention and maybe I can clarify the PWC position. PWC were indeed appointed in July 2013 to do a ” scoping exercise on the reshaping budget . The were selected after “a rigorous
Selection process involving relevant officers and Lead members ” ( sadly never myself) . Clue leader of the coalition administration at the time was indeed Neil Rogers and deputy leader Mark Pritchard.
The Phase 2 of the process ,where PWC were appointed to undertake the subsequent stages ,with the 10% clause included was in January 2013. Leader of the council and lead member for corporate and financial affairs at the time- Councillor Mark Pritchard.[quote quote=121491]
I really dont know were the £750k figyre for PWC has come from the contract was 10% of savings £4.6 million on the 3 year programme to save £45 million — perhaops Clr Neil Rogers who was Leader of the Council at the time and authorised the contract may be prepared to shed some light–and of course Counciorl Andrew Bailey who cointrubutes to these forums was a member of the then Labour led Council that brought them in.. Cant blame Clr Pritchard for this one..
Hi Dylan , Thanks for your mention and maybe I can clarify the PWC position. PWC were indeed appointed in July 2013 to do a ” scoping exercise on the reshaping budget . The were selected after “a rigorous
Selection process involving relevant officers and Lead members ” ( sadly never myself) . Clue leader of the coalition administration at the time was indeed Neil Rogers and deputy leader Mark Pritchard.
The Phase 2 of the process ,where PWC were appointed to undertake the subsequent stages ,with the 10% clause included was in January 2013. Leader of the council and lead member for corporate and financial affairs at the time- Councillor Mark Pritchard.Correction – Phase 2 was agreed on 13th January 2015 and phase 1 in July 2014. The July 2013 reference was the start of the reshaping project To look at the financial challenge facing the authority ” whilst giving priority for the most vulnerable. Probably best if I leave it to others to judge whether the Tory – Independent council in charge for the past two years has done that.
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