Author Topic: CCBC costs and cutting  (Read 150389 times)

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Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #195 on: May 18, 2016, 04:49:52 pm »
Salaries for Conwy cabinet members reduced after full council vote
 
THE decision to reduce the salary of a council's cabinet members by nearly £3,000 was the right thing to do, a former cabinet member has said.

At a full council meeting on Thursday, May 12 councillors supported recommendations by the democratic services committee to reduce Conwy County Council cabinet members’ salaries from £29,000 to £26,100 following a report by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales.

Cllr Phil Edwards, who until January this year served as cabinet member for housing, social care and health, said: "We're in austere times.

"We're expecting more cuts to our budgets down the line and whilst that is continuing I agree that this is the time to show some leadership, and that it is the right and proper thing to do."

Cllr Chris Hughes, cabinet member for communities, said: "Members looked at it and decided what the level should be and it is what it is: it's democracy, that's how the systemis set up."

The supported recommendations, which came into effect immediately, also included the reduction in salary of committee chairs from £22,000 to £20,000 and that civic salaries remain unchanged at £21,500 for the chair of council and £16,000 for the vice-chair of council.    REF Pioneer

Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #196 on: May 23, 2016, 06:21:06 pm »
A Conwy councillor who couldn’t attend meetings because he was working away as a sea captain as resigned his seat.
Jobi Hold tendered his resignation with “immediate effect” on Tuesday May 17 from both Conwy County and Llandudno Town councils.

Mr Hold, who attended just 17 of 50 council meetings over an 18-month period while earning almost £20,000 of taxpayers cash, has moved with his family to Launceston, Cornwall.

The former councillor skippers boats for a Netherlands-based company working in the oil and gas industry and it is believed the move south had been planned for some time.

A spokeswoman for Conwy County Council confirmed: “Councillor Hold tendered his resignation on May 17 with immediate effect.”
He was a representative for Mostyn ward on both town and county councils on behalf of the Labour Party.
Mr Hold said he was able to keep up with council business via his iPad, although admitted being away meant he was sometimes unable to vote on important issues affecting his constituents.

He told the Daily Post: “Considering how things work nowadays with social media and internet, I have always got my iPad with me and I’m still dealing with issues when I’m away.”
Harry Davis, campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Councillors are elected to make decisions on behalf of their constituents.
“For them to do this, they have to attend the meetings.
“Taxpayers have every right to feel aggrieved and will question whether they are really being represented and receiving value for money.”

Despite initially saying he was “not too sure” what he intended to do when news broke of the poor attendance, Mr Hold ultimately decided to relinquish his seats.
A by-election for the vacant county council seat will be held within 35 days as long as the returning officer receives such a request from two registered voters.
The vacant town council seat will be contested if 10 registered voters contact the democratic services officer at Conwy County Council by June 2.
REF DP



Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #197 on: June 16, 2016, 11:51:20 am »
Welsh councils are owed £86m in council tax with the total owed rising by nearly £1m in a year to its highest ever level.
As council tax bills grow, councils are collecting more money but the value of arrears is also bigger.

In 2015-16, billing authorities collected 97.2% of council tax billed, an increase of 0.1 percentage points compared to 2014-15. This is the highest collection rate since the introduction of council tax.

The total amount outstanding at March 31, 2016 was £85.91m, of which £37m was in-year arrears, up £1m from 2014-15. The arrears outstanding at the end of the 2015-16 financial year are the highest since 1996-97.

Conwy: £3,501,000  outstanding.......?

MORE.... http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/how-much-every-welsh-authority-11476627

Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #198 on: June 28, 2016, 11:41:36 am »
 :-}}} Conwy Council accidentally publish minutes of super school meeting BEFORE it takes place.

Blundering council workers have come under fire - for publishing draft minutes of a decision BEFORE the meeting to discuss it has actually taken place.

Conwy Council ’s cabinet is set to debate plans for a new super-school in Llandudno Junction during a special meeting today.

Education chiefs want to close the town’s Ysgol Maelgwn and Ysgol Nant y Coed and build a new school called Ysgol Awel Y Mynydd in their stead on land known as the Esgyryn site.

Council chiefs are due to discuss a number of topics relating to the move, including whether or not to start the formal process of amalgamating the two schools, during today’s meeting.

But draft minutes published on the council’s website appear to show that the decision has already been made.
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/oops-conwy-council-accidentally-publish-11535001

Offline DaveR

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #199 on: June 28, 2016, 12:45:52 pm »
Decisions taken by CCBC before a Meeting takes place? Surely not!!  :laugh:  &shake&

Offline Ian

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #200 on: June 28, 2016, 02:00:26 pm »
Perish the thought   _))* _))* _))* _))*
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Fester

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #201 on: June 28, 2016, 02:02:28 pm »
Doesn't that, along with the Brexit back-pedalling, just some up politicians at every level.   &shake& &shake&
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Ian

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #202 on: June 28, 2016, 02:08:55 pm »
Just had a thought: if we could find a judge who would regard promises made by politicians the same as goods purchased, we could do them under the Consumer Rights Act 2015...
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #203 on: June 28, 2016, 03:09:46 pm »
I often wonder how are us ordinary citizens meant to know who to believe about politics! So much information told to us, we have not been trained in the subject so who to believe?  ?{}?
A pigeon is for life not just Christmas

Offline wrex

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #204 on: June 28, 2016, 03:16:48 pm »
We have no rights now

Offline Ian

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #205 on: June 28, 2016, 03:32:00 pm »
Actually, I'm not really surprised. Generally, the outcomes of most meetings are fixed in advance - usually through a word here, a nod there and promises made to those involved, so that the meeting is usually only a rubber stamping exercise. This is politics, although the politicians like to describe the process as 'briefings'. The only mistake they've made this time is to get caught.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline alw

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #206 on: June 28, 2016, 06:56:20 pm »
Hey, be fair !

They have actually made a decision.
Things are never so bad that they can't get worse.

I never said it was your fault; I said I was blaming you.

Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #207 on: January 16, 2017, 01:52:23 pm »
North Wales councils have spent almost £500,000 on “town hall propaganda” since 2013.
The biggest spenders in North Wales were Conwy (£93,690) Denbighshire (£91,200) and Gwynedd councils (£83,864
Substantial sums are being spent by many Welsh councils on town hall propaganda, and taxpayers will rightly question why their hard earned cash is being spent on junk mail at a time when many frontline services are being cut.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/town-hall-propaganda-bill-05m-12461069

Offline Meleri

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #208 on: January 23, 2017, 05:25:28 pm »
It appears Councillor Dilwyn Roberts leader of Conwy County Borough Council conveniently forgot to pay his Council Tax, which has been revealed by information obtained by The Freedom of Information Act.  &shake&

Aberconwy Assembly Member Janet Finch Saunders has called for Cllr Roberts to consider his position and said "As leader of Conwy County Borough Council and someone who earns over double the average income for the area, it beggars belief that it took a court summons to make him cough up his legal dues".

Perhaps it's time for him to take retirement and give someone else a chance to clean up CCBC's act considering all that has gone on recently. It's about time they broke ranks from the Old Boy's Club and there are some very promising Female Councillors who would fit the bill.  ;)


Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #209 on: January 23, 2017, 06:37:04 pm »
This is a farce, he should stand down, yes we all make mistakes, but this should have been a priority,  someone in his position should have arranged a direct debit.

Just read the DP story.... http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/?pageNumber=5