AS WE were walking into the Chafford Hundred Primary School Fete, a parent asked us what we knew about the cuts. Naturally, we said that for a start, the Chafford Hundred Library may be going and we then outlined a number of other things that may well face the chop. The parents first reaction was: “Cut everything but they won’t be cutting the councillor’s allowances or even the number of them.”
Fair question: At the bottom of the page is an article we wrote during the elections, three months ago.
So, while we are at the Fete we spoke councillors’ Tunde Ojetola and Martin Healy for their view on whether in the present climate, 49 councillors are simply a luxury, we cannot afford.
We will cut to the chase here. We get the feeling that if Sir John Harvey-Jones or Duncan Bannatyne were to cast their experienced and entreprenurial eye over the Thurrock Council chamber and it’s 49 inhabitants they may come to the same conclusion that we have, having observed matters day in and day out for the last four years.
We could imagine Duncan shadowing them for a week or so and then calling them together at a specially convened meeting in the chamber.
He would then go ward by ward. The three (and sometimes two) ward councillors would come forward and he would say.
“Councillor A…I like what you are doing. You work hard etc etc…I tell you where I am with you…I am going to recommend a £3 grand bonus for you. He would then call the other two forward and say “Catch ya…………”
So it would go on ward by ward. When left with 20 councillors, he would turn to the Interim Chief Exec and say.
“Right…here is how it goes..I have now saved you £200,000. Here is £20k for the Tilbury ferry, here is £30k for Ngage, here is £40k for three PCSO’s etc
“Now Bob, go and shout that to the rooftops or even better, advertise on that cutting edge website in toon.
The councillors who had just been “fired” would plead but Duncan would say.
“I’m sorry but this company is simply massively overstaffed and you have not made a credible business case for yourselves. It has been nice work while you have had it.
“In any case, these aren’t supposed to be jobs.”
Half of the tongue is in the cheek and the other half…well. There is a hurricane coming for the public sector and the word “efficiency savings” will be used ad nauseum. Perhaps they should lead by example (yes we know it would take Secretary of State approval).
Do you think we will hear that call. Turkeys for christmas come to mind….but for the life of us we have no idea why there is a need for so many councillors in Thurrock and what is more pertinent time and time again, through absenteeism in council, lack of surgeries, lack of comment, lack of profile, you have made the argument for the prosecution yourself.
Blimey, Cllr Healy is most definately cats from the political mould, ask him a direct question and all you get is waffle and spin quite the opposite to Cllr Ojetola who answered directly.
TBC is over ran with councillors and we have all witnessed the coplete dissaray within the chambers over the past 12 months with councillors not attending key meetings, in fighting, hypocricy from those now in power.
The whole council needs a complete clear out and thinning down before they start to cut core services, get your own house in order TBC before you start cutting public services.
End Unitary Thurrock / 20 full time paid Councillors / Leader and cabinet – Novel idea
But implement some performance targets now – such as being paid by attendance and no annual draw downs. 10% Councillor income cuts including expenses. With the withdrawal of Forum funding next year there should be no excuses for non attendance in the Chamber for been on Community Business and not quite making the Forum meeting.
It’s interesting how different people here different things in what others say. I thought I heard both councillor say pretty much the same thing. The kind of changes suggested by the interviewer would only happen if the government decided upon reforming the local councils. They seemed to imply it was not within the gift of local councillors to make such changes.
In fact, listening to it again Councillor Healy is more positive towards the idea than Councillor Ojetola.
Thurrock Council can’t vote to cut the number of councillors. The number is set by the Government’s Boundary Committee.
However there is nothing stopping a councillor submitting a motion at the next full council meeting asking for Thurrock Council to consider asking the Government’s Boundary Committee to look at the number of councillors in Thurrock with a view of reducing the numbers.
If the majority of councillors agreed and the motion was passed then a report would need to be submitted and agreed by the council’s cabinet and once agreed a formal request can be made by Thurrock Council for the Government’s Boundary Committee to carry out a review in numbers.
As the coalition Government plans to cut the number of MPs at the next election perhaps Mr Casey has a point about there being too many councillors?
The council has also changed the rules regarding petitions so if someone got a petition together of 1,500 signatures then the matter will have to be debated at the next full council meeting.
Is there some enterprising individual out there who will collect 1,500 signatures from Thurrock residents calling for the number of councillors to be cut and a request made to the Government’s Boundary Committee asking for a review of the number of Thurrock councillors with the aim of cutting the numbers?
I have no problem with raising a petition which will review Councillor numbers in Thurrock along with looking at the whole Council system. I believed Unitary Thurrock combined with Community Involvement via the Forum system would enable people to engage better with the issues that affect them. But Unitary status has been underminded by Gateway and Vertex and the poor senior management appointments and the lack of engagement by most Councillors at critical times. . The scope of Forums was undermind in 2004 with the removal of area assemblies and the growth of a number of other community bodies which if you look at them should have been nothing more than sub committees of the Forum package. 20 Councillors / Leader and Cabinet and Chief Executive and a total revamp of the Senior Management system. Dispose of Vertex and a Government review of the breadown in the relationship between Gateway and Thurrock Council. More debate on the Donaldson report and more information on Big Society and a revamp of the ailing Forum system. Only 5 people at Litlle Thurrock Forum last night!
Sorry report was by Donald McIntosh