A THURROCK councillor has been lauded for his work on the borough council after landing a top administrative award.
Cllr Shane Hebb, who has represented the Stanford-le-Hope West ward since 2011, won the award for Finance and Transformation at the Local Government Information Unit and Churches, Charities and Local Authorities Councillor Achievement Awards ceremony held in London .
Cllr Hebb, 31, who is also deputy leader of the council, was praised at the Guildhall’s Livery Hall by judges made up of council leaders and chief executives who commended his ‘transformative effect’ on Thurrock Council’s finances.
Guests at the ceremony heard that since taking on the finance portfolio in 2016 he has “succeeded in alleviating a substantial deficit through adopting an ‘outside the box’ commercial approach that avoided salami slicing services and minimised the impact on residents.”
Judges also noted that Cllr Hebb, who is a senior manager of production operations at Tarmac Building Products at Linford and a director and owner of the Your Do It Yourself Centre in Corringham, had succeeded in taking on a challenging portfolio at a young age.
Dr Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of the Information Unit said: “It’s fantastic to hear stories of local councillors working selflessly for the community, bringing real benefits to residents.
“Cllr Hebb has demonstrated huge talent and dedication. The outstanding quality of the nominations we received this year stands as a testament to the exceptional job many councillors are doing for their community.”
If he is the person and not his staff who put the finances in order I salute him on that. But I thought Cllr’s Just work from officers and the officers come up with the actual plan to do it. But if he did it and made it all happen well done.
What is the state of our finances it never said?
Not one number not one statistic.
Now on to my worry.
This secret investors meeting. What happened what did he and his fellow Cllr’s Get us on the hook for?
Like you CTB I would love to know what state the finances were in for the Cllr to turn them around and win an award. Pretty dire I would imagine.
Maybe a freedom of information request wouldn’t go amiss if they are not forthcoming.
freedom of information?
What’s the point they will probably only slap a gagging order on it like grenfell.
The award shouldn’t go to the ventriloquist dummy but to the Council Officer/Officers who come up with the ideas and do all the research quietly behind the scenes. Councillors just usually rubber stamp other peoples ideas but claim all the credit.
Ed – I totally agree.
Having dealings with the Council it is now so left wing namby pamby to do anything other than send out crazy ” We are scarred of being sued by someone” directions.
Unless of course the brown envelopes show up. Always good to get a decision them things.