Unlike 'election time' candidates, I actually attend council meetings and make pertinent enquiries to try and make a difference to how our town is run. In fact, just what councillors should be doing, rather than simply being nodding dogs and pointing at pot holes once a year (increasing to 2 or 3 a month when re-election time is approaches).
Here are just a few examples of meetings that I have attended/taken part in and recorded. Our camera-shy councillors would prefer not to have their words, actions and votes officially recorded for future reference (that way, it makes misleading the public and avoiding accountability, that much easier).
The Night of the Living Dead?
What happens when a successful construction comapny obtains planning permission, by agreeing to pay over £200,000 towards local amenities and road junction modifications?
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It's simple. Two thirds the way through the development, claim it is not profitable and also that traffic at a busy junction has reduced over the last ten years. Bingo! No need to pay the £200,000. It really is that simple
Gimmee, Gimee, Gimmee
Discussions to increase their basic allowances had been underway for some months. Councillors were involved in the process. However, the public were only informed one week before this meeting.
A classic case of councillor self-interest by keeping people in the dark until it is too late. Oh, yes and always do it when there is not an election the following year.
More tea Vicar?
Ever wondered how council owned assets get permission to be sold off?
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The Council utilised its usual tactic of citing repair costs - councillors, as expected, responded by not asking for any details of the alleged costs involved.
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I later requested that the claims were substantiated. Surprise, surprise, they couldn't be.
No, it's not Uriah Heep
In what some might describe as a performance of stomach-churning humbleness and sincerity, Cllr C Biant explains why councillors deserve £3000 a year more and why her beloved leader, Cllr R Farnell was worth £900 per week.
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Unfortunately, she failed to explain why the existing allowances were sufficient enough for her to become a councillor in the first place and subsequently stand for re-election.
Councillor (Un)Accountability
An award winning website; reams and reams of paper; dodgy sound system; lots of clerical staff; a £50 million council building that wins awards no one has ever heard of before or since - but no facilities to record which way councillors vote.
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I requested that councillors support a change in the rules so that all individual votes are recorded. You can guess the response.
Toxic and full of rubbish
Over the last ten years, councillors have trotted out the same lame excuses about the toxic TBA site. Even when it was illegally used as a land fill site, local councillors continued with the ploy of it being private land owned by a foreign company, so nothing could be done.
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The truth is, that according to council publications, it is still earmarked as a potential housing development site.
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The real problem is weak, party line local councillors.