wxm
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We had a conversation yesterday about how Wrexham needs to change and develop, and because what the Council does is so dominant in the community, the Council has to be one of the main things to change and develop. Boring though it is, we discussed budgets again, and the the two comments from the webcast on Monday that the community is over governed, and that Council debates focus on single budget items, and often do not refer to the whole needs of the community, and a single plan that makes sure money is spent in a balanced way across departments and community needs.
It still seems to be a very good proposal that there should be a debate, that is webcast, on each of the twelve areas of the budget. This would give Council Members the opportunity to contribute more, which we have seen over the last few months, and the community to understand what each part of the budget is being spent on, and how it will affect the future of the community. Non distributed costs, and other operating expenditure, which amount to many millions pounds of expenditure each year, must be important areas to debate.
In the webcast on Monday, the comment was made that we are over governed. Reading a Wales report and comments on blogs, a lot of people if not most, agree with this. While we have got committees meeting and being quoted so much in webcast meetings, why can all these committees not be webcast?
It would surely improve public understanding about what is going on in decision making, and hopefully encourage frank discussion about how we are over governed, the cost, and how this could be done more simply and cost effectively in the future
Putting meetings on the web is one of the best things that has happened in Wrexham in a very long time. With each meeting we are seeing more and more about how the Council works and decisions are made. It would be very good to see other meetings, for example the scrutiny and workshops meetings about which constant reference is made.
The more councillors that speak up and debate, the better. It became apparent in Monday’s debate, and was specifically mentioned by a Council Member, that the Council should be considering expenditure items in the context of the whole budget and plan, and not just seeing budget lines in isolation.
It will be great to understand what is to change, and when. We can then all play a part. In the last decade or two, this area has fallen behind the national economic performance by 14 points (14%). It will take a lot to catch up with other areas who are accelerating growth, earnings per job, and social capital
Wrexham was the capital of North Wales once. The competition of Cheshire Oaks and Broughton Park now offer a much bigger shopping experience, and education in Liverpool, Manchester and Chester us on the doorstep and strong. Business is strong in Deeside Industrial Park, and on the M56. Wrexham, rather than reinvent itself, should return to its core values … Wrexham is overshadowed by many things around it … it needs to identify how it can be attractive, and thrive in an economy of ten years time …
@Ferret 20038 wrote:
@wxm 20020 wrote:
It’s a month since anything was posted on this one, and we talked in the pub last night about the things that are being discussed in Wrexham but always seem to remain the same year after year.
Being very boring, we talked about the services that could be increased, cut or changed, and we came back to the overall budget.
Saturday night must be a blast in your pub.
Until Wrexham Council debates the £230m it spends annually, line by line, controlled by about 50 councillors in the meeting and 50 officers day by day (or in industry this would be 1 to 5 people) … the blast in Wrexham will be the continued chuncks falling off the Welsh economy, now indexing at 14 percent less than a decade ago …
It’s a month since anything was posted on this one, and we talked in the pub last night about the things that are being discussed in Wrexham but always seem to remain the same year after year.
Being very boring, we talked about the services that could be increased, cut or changed, and we came back to the overall budget. Until Wrexham Council spend a full meeting … 1, 2 , 3, 4 hours or more … debating each of the twelve budget and spending areas one at a time in twelve different meetings … Councillors will not, and we will not, understand how well or poorly money is spent, and whether more or less is needed …
As we as talking through the facts, such debates would also clear up a lot of questions raised in these forums
@BenjaminM 19700 wrote:
Well, that’s answered the question……….not!
List each of the 12 budget / expenditure areas for a full Council debate (with ample time for preparations by all) and the answers shall come
@BenjaminM 19692 wrote:
And this is relevant to Pension contributions because???
Reading the accounts, the following are expenditure in the four sections of:
Corporate and Democratic Core
Non Distributed Costs
Other Operating Expenditure
Finance and Investment Income and Expenditure
