Green Party Councillor Michael Hoy makes an interesting point on his blog here about the District Council’s budget meeting:
….. This process culminated in Tuesday nights meeting where we were to vote to accept or not this budget. To me this must be one of the most important meetings of the year, as Councillors we are deciding how much money is to be spent and on what. Cuts were being made and decisions included reducing grants to charities by 40%, introducing parking charges for staff to raise ?30,000, the closure of Great Wakering Sports Centre and increases to parking income of ?100,000 amongst others.
Out of 32 Tory Councillors I counted 17 who turned up meaning 15 were absent. Nearly half of the Tory Group did not attend the most important council meeting of the year, a meeting which will affect all residents of the District as well as the staff. I am sure one or two may have been ill (I know of one who was) but 15?
For the Lib Dems, 4 out of 5 of us were present (one absent though illness).
And only Officially Minuted apologies for being absent from 11 Councillors made up of 10 from the Conservative Group and 1 from the Lib Dems.
I turned up for this meeting expecting some debate about the budget. Thee was none. Perhaps I was mistaken in my expectations as many key decisions had been made earlier. What also was poor was the indiffernce of the general public. A very important meeting and 5 extraneous people. Three possible Conservative candidates, the wife of a councillor and me. Over in 40 minutes and a waste of the sandwiches and flask of tea.
There was some discussion. But by the standards of parish or Town councils, the amount of debate is very low….
With three pre-budget meetings I assume that debate had been exhausted before the formal meeting as Bruce suggests? (that excludes any pre-budget discussion in political groups which I know nothing about of course !!)Perhaps that is why there were so many absences?