FORMER Thurrock Councillor, Martin Healy has continued to take an interest in Thurrock politics. Here, Mr Healy gives his opinion on the "Too many councillors" debate.
Try dealing with a large public corporation or public body that is not as democratic like local government. Try contacting your Vat inspector with a simple query about your business. There is a lot to be said for the multiple points of contact offered by Thurrock council and its elected councillors.
I am a firm believer in wards with three councillors reducing to two and wards with two reducing to one. I understand that this takes us down to about 33 councillor at thurrock council.
Every councillor has a real job on Thurrock Council : 8 for cabinet, 12 for overview & scrutiny and 10 for quasi judicial committees like planning, audit and licensing.
The role of Thurrock mayor and deputy is very important to the people of our borough and recent mayors and deputies have done especially well so I would keep them and probably pay them a little more. Mind you, councillors also have bills and mortgages to pay so a sensible and fairer review of their allowances is required for what is typically a 15 to 20 hour week’s work. This time is easily filled with constituent casework and council meetings not to mention the time spent out there in the community.
Poor pay to councillors up and down the country is an issue and probably will not be resolved until the calibre of elected member drops so low that something will need to be done.
As for my one spare councillor, well someone has to fulfil the very important role of leading councillor without portfolio. This is the one role served by many in the past. "I am not responsible for this or that but I will blame the other lot" is a waste of energy and probably exhausts that councillor in the end. There is however a fine upstanding tradition of objection in local government and this needs to be preserved and deployed in a more positive manner.
In the past this ‘naysayer’ role has been served by many but i am afraid that going forward thurrock council can only afford one vacancy. There will no doubt be much competition for this important chief ‘naysayer’ role. Such are the checks, balances and bureaucracy in local government that just one experienced councillor pointing out the blooming obvious is so important and keeps the whole organisation honest. Fits the job description perfectly for leader of the main opposition.
I agree with the council leader that reducing the number of councillors is not in the gift of the local authority but i will be making my views known to the boundary commission the next time that they visit Thurrock.
