"Make a change today to save Wrexham for the future" become a local Councillor
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Margaret you must be one of the lucky residents to have a Councillor that actually holds a surgery — there is nothing mandatory for a Councillor to provide an Annual Report — you can check against you Councillor to see if they have written anything at http://moderngov.wrexham.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1 it shows their report if any and declaration of interests etc.
Interesting link, seems some information on the register of interests maybe a bit outdated , Neil Rogers is stated to be an Independent but on his register of interests it say he is a member of South Clwyd Labour Party, it is dated 2012 though !
The updating of the register is the responsibility of each individual Council Members who are supposed to provide relevant information to the Monitoring Officer in the Council.
Thanks to all who have been in touch about possibly standing for election next year as a local Councillor. It is hoped that a meeting will take in a couple of months to help new people understand what standing for election would require.
Please keep emailing your interest. [email protected][quote quote=113347]The Executive Board (call them the Cabinet) make decisions on policy and action. Once these are made public a request can be made for them to be sent to the Scrutiny Committee (call this ‘the Lords) for review. [/quote]
How do the public find out about such policy changes? Do you just have to attend the meetings or find the meeting minutes afterwards?For example:
- There are no longer quantitative measures for when a pothole needs to be repaired, and no prescribed timescales for fixing potholes. (It used to be “potholes greater than 50mm deep in carriageways and greater than 25mm deep in footways and cycleways are repaired within 72 hours”)
- If your recycling is not collected the bin men will not come back and collect it – you have to wait until the following week.
This is what I’ve been told in responses to complaints to the council – so possibly someone fobbing me off but it wouldn’t surprise me that things like that have been changed on the quiet.
[quote quote=113353]The decisions are already made prior to any councillor even seeing proposals. The tail wags the dog in Wrexham.[/quote]
This is definitely the impression I get. On one hand we’re being told the council need to save money, but then they throw it away on what seem to be someone’s pet project.
To be honest, I don’t think Wrexham is the exception here. Having lived/worked in a few different areas – it seems to be a UK wide problem.Documents for Executive and Scrutiny meetings can be viewed from the Thursday prior to a meeting http://moderngov.wrexham.gov.uk/ieDocSearch.aspx?bcr=1
Well if ever there was an example of why wee needed a major change in the Councillors in Wrexham was last nights meeting and discussion on the Groves. With the exception of Dana Davies only a couple of others actually had clue what was going on- both Members and Officers it was shambolic. https://www.wrexham.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/225744
Liz I gave up watching these web casts a while back as they are so often next to useless there is no sound quality and what you can hear is just drivel in most instances. Gone back to watching the soap that do have a similarity with the Council meetings in that they may as well have scripts written by the same people as they are both works of fiction most of the time.
More evidence of why there need a massive change in the Council is a report going to their Audit Scrutiny Committee next week with details of a survey of Council Members and Managers
http://moderngov.wrexham.gov.uk/documents/g3232/Public%20reports%20pack%2026th-May-2016%2016.00%20Audit%20Committee.pdf?T=10&LLL=undefined“The 2015 survey had 22 responses from total of 73 potential respondents which equates to a response rate of 30.1%. The 2016 survey had 17 responses out of a total of 68 potential respondents which is a response rate of 25%. The respondents can be split as follows:
Respondent No. of Respondents % of Total Respondents
Member of the Audit Committee 6 35.29% THERE ARE 12 COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE ON 50% COULD BE BOTHERED!!!!!!!
Elected Member who does not currently
serve on the Audit Committee 4 23.53% THERE ARE 52 COUNCILLORS LESS THE 12 ON THE COMMITTEE LEAVES 40 – WITH ONLY 4 RESPONSES THAT IS 10% — 9-% OF OUR PAID COUNCILLORS DID NOT BOTHER
WCBC Officer 6 35.29%
Wales Audit Office 1 5.88%This just highlights the disgrace with many Councillors not fulfilling some of the basics functions that they are paid for–
Is it they just don’t understand the issues
They cant be bothered
They feel their opinion wont count if they are not on the ExecutiveWith so little interest in auditing what goes on in the Council — not just financial but operational then no wonder things are such a shambles.
On a number of items in the Audit report in a business setting a number of heads in the management team would roll and dismissal notices issued.Perhaps those of you who never see your Councillor should make contact with them and ask them about what they are doing on any specific issues in your community area. If they are being ineffective in sorting issues then make it clear either you will stand against them or support anyone else that does (surprising how this tactic wakes them up!!).
There are already a few names of Executive Board members floating around that they will not be standing next year- may just be Wrexham jungle drums but there are certainly going to be some vacancies- now is the time to take up the challenge Liz laid down at the beginning of this thread.
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