Cost of Consultants.
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Surely it cannot be a Code of Conduct issue if you are engaging with a genuine cross section of the community who believe the manner in which business is being transacted is wrong. This is 2013.
@wxm 10378 wrote:
Surely it cannot be a Code of Conduct issue if you are engaging with a genuine cross section of the community who believe the manner in which business is being transacted is wrong. This is 2013.
You would think so wouldn’t you! I wrote to the Chief Executive regarding what I perceived to be maladministration. Had an email back reporting me under the ‘protocol’ for low level complaints. Likewise we raised concerns in Scrutiny about the quality of workmanship by outside contractors and the fact that a senior officer warned a Councillor not to spread the word.
Scrutiny is fine on paper, but its when your scrutiny is such that you start to unearth things and threaten the comfy life of the bureaucracy is when they start to bite back:mad:
Interesting post elsewhere:
It is not generally known, but legislation under the 1972 Local Government Act already makes allowances for the holding of local referendums in the United Kingdom. Until relatively recently, this measure has been little used, but now an increasing number of local communities are starting to make use of it. What’s more it is relatively easy for ordinary voters to set up a local referendum and although at present the result is only be advisory, it does nonetheless serve to let the authorities know just what local people feel on an issue. Below is an outline of the steps involved.
Six voters on the Electoral Register for that Parish (available for viewing at local Post Office) now need to sign a piece of paper calling for a Public Parish meeting on a specified date more than seven clear working days hence. This ‘notice of meeting’ should specify date, time (after 6.00pm), venue, the names of the six, and the business to be transacted at the meeting (ie to call for a referendum on your chosen question). As a minimum the notice should be pinned up at one prominent site in the area.
Notify the Parish Council and the Chairman of the District Council of what you are doing. Tell them that you are acting under Part 3, schedule 12, paragraph 18, subparagraphs 4 and 5 of the Local Government Act 1972. You may well find that if your chosen issue arouses strong feelings locally, the Parish Council will come on board to help with the organisation of the meeting.
For the meeting to be valid, you will need at least ten local voters present. The meeting may be chaired by the Chairman of the Parish council if willing, but this is not essential, as anyone chosen by the meeting can chair it. Whatever else happens at the meeting, you will need to propose a motion calling for a referendum (Parish Poll) on your chosen question or questions. If one third of those voters present, or ten of those present, whichever figure is smaller, call for a referendum, then your District Council is obliged by law to hold one. Note this means that it is actually possible to loose a vote at the meeting, but still satisfy the requirements for calling a referendum.
Go to your District Council and tell them the outcome of the vote at the meeting. Quote the relevant legislation again. They now have between 14 and 25 days to hold the referendum.
It would be good to propose £10m a year that the Council could stop spending, to quicken resolving the expenditure question. For example, with the size of estate, could £1m be saved on property.
It would also be good to propose a resolution that would lead to greater revenue, for example, going out into the world and finding a business that will employ several thousand people on a site.
I personally feel that the mayor gives events a lift. I have no idea how much money they cost as I have never looked it up. I know that they can have as many as 3 events in a day so they may do a lot of mileage but if it were a choice between having a mayor visiting local events, creating a local feel good factor, as opposed to sending councillors on fact finding missions & having twin towns & paying consultants astronomical amounts of money to tell you something that is common sense then give me a mayor every time.
Putting the debate of the Mayor that emerged in this thread, to one side, the critical subjects of the cost of consultants and scrutiny are important each day, as we need to balance the budget and put money into those who truly need it. How do we put money into the community, rather than bureaucracy …
Going back to the first post it would appear that Wrexham CBC are spending more money on consultants than on the leisure centres.
I just read this quote below posted today on the internet. If this is true, then the WCBC should hang their heads in shame. That money could & should have been spent on improving facilities. This is nothing at all to do with politics just basic common sense. Last night it was mentioned on TV about a council who spent money on consultants instead of improving flood defences & guess what?
“The current Labour-run council spent £882,000 on consultants in the past year, a £332,000 increase on the previous administration”.
@zinger 11020 wrote:
I just read this quote below posted today on the internet. If this is true, then the WCBC should hang their heads in shame. That money could & should have been spent on improving facilities. This is nothing at all to do with politics just basic common sense. Last night it was mentioned on TV about a council who spent money on consultants instead of improving flood defences & guess what?
“The current Labour-run council spent £882,000 on consultants in the past year, a £332,000 increase on the previous administration”.
Quite a big sum – whats the source for the quote?
Does it mean that £552,000 is alright on consultants as the increase & responsibility of the increase is highlighted?
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