I will continue to fight for change
I NOTICED the letter from ex Downham town mayor Mick Ford in today’s paper (Friday, January 20), and I believe the vast majority of ratepayers agree with his clear and concise views.
Mick Ford will be interested to learn that councillors Michael Ford and Patrick Neate have put forward possible ideas for savings which include closing the Town Hall on Mondays, and renting out the council office in Priory Road, having relocated the staff to cheaper nearby premises (where has not been specified).
At the last council meeting I proposed that a working group of three councillors investigate what is by far our largest cost, staffing (salaries, pensions, holiday and sick pay, time off work in lieu), to ensure the council is getting best value in the current difficult economic climate. Although the Town Mayor Val Starling and the three members of the human resources group voted for the motion, it was lost by nine votes to seven.
Councillors Ford and Neate, who are purportedly interested in ways of making savings, voted against.
The issues of the IT contract costing around £10,000 a year, and the £60,000 plus for work on the Town Hall roof during the past year (part of which was not properly tendered for), which I broached in an earlier letter, remain unresolved.
Failings highlighted in audit reports are still not rectified, and I understand there has been a suggestion that the council engage an HR consultancy firm at a cost approaching £5,000 a year.
Mick Ford can be assured that some councillors, and certainly myself, do listen and take note of what he and any council tax payer says.
I will continue to fight to change the culture of the council, as it is possible to provide the essential facilities and services and still adopt cost saving measures, and question unnecessary expenditure, with a more business-like, straight forward, sensible approach.
JEFFREY REED
Denver Hill
Downham
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Weather for King's Lynn
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: East
