Author Topic: CCBC costs and cutting  (Read 150283 times)

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Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #180 on: October 27, 2014, 08:24:41 am »
On average, 37.6545% too many statistics appear!   :twoface:
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Offline Ian

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Re: CCBC: Cuts and cutting
« Reply #181 on: October 27, 2014, 08:45:55 am »
 _))* _))* _))*

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Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

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Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting 5%increase
« Reply #182 on: November 04, 2014, 10:39:26 am »
Taxpayers in Conwy face another 5% increase in council tax

The increase was suggested as Conwy council discussed its preliminary financial planning up to 2018.
Next year’s rise comes on the back of a 5% increase in April 2014. It means a Band D household will be expected to pay £1,013 a year.
The new wave of austerity was discussed at a principal overview and scrutiny meeting yesterday.

Andrew Kirkham, head of finance, said despite the increase Conwy would still be the cheapest authority in North Wales for council tax.
He said: “In order to make up for the 4.3% cut in settlement from the Welsh Government we would have to raise council tax by 14.8%.
“However our assumptions are for a 5% increase, which will be seen as 'acceptable' by the Welsh Government.”

Cllr Sam Rowlands said the authority could not continue to rely on such a large increase in council tax.
He said: “We need to get out of the trap of 5% increase year on year. How do we get out of this cycle?
“I think our residents would understand if services were increasing as well but they are not.”
He asked if Conwy could commit to lessening the council tax demand if the final settlement from Welsh Government was higher than anticipated.

Mr Kirkham said: “Until we identify non-recurring resources it would be reckless to commit ourselves to a council tax cut reduction.”
He explained Conwy Council have been using one-time only grants in the budget to help “buy time” but conceded “it is not sustainable”.

New finance portfolio holder Cllr Mike Priestley said: “It’s more than a mountain to climb but we have an excellent team here in Conwy to tackle the challenge.
“But we cannot underestimate the forthcoming challenges we will face financially.”

The authority expected a cut in the Welsh Government settlement of 1.9%.

Conwy Council will attempt to lessen the blows to services by tapping into £28.4m worth of reserves but only £2.9m of that is available.

Chief executive Iwan Davies said the council had complained about their settlement distribution but added: “Assembly members are in the best place to criticize Conwy’s settlement level if they have issues with it.”
RefDailyPost

Offline norman08

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #183 on: November 04, 2014, 02:11:32 pm »
Quote ,, mike priestley , we have a great team here  _))* _))*, they all know how to waste Our money , north shore and they are back again ,reforming the rocks ,they will be back after Xmas , venue Cymru and the biggest waste the big skip in the bay.

Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #184 on: November 04, 2014, 03:26:06 pm »
Quote ,, mike priestley , we have a great team here  they all know how to waste Our money , north shore and they are back again ,reforming the rocks ,they will be back after Xmas , venue Cymru and the biggest waste the big skip in the bay.
Maybe the "Team" will finally have a look at the Venue Cymru £1.700.000 wage bill........ >>>

In the above statement not one suggestion on how to save money    “We need to get out of the trap of 5% increase year on year. How do we get out of this cycle? ......start by doing your (Well paid) job... $angry$

Offline DaveR

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #185 on: June 26, 2015, 09:25:24 am »
This always makes me laugh when I see it in Rhos. Why not just give the original cast iron nameplate a coat of paint instead of replacing it with a cheap new one? Such a lack of common sense!

Offline Nemesis

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #186 on: June 26, 2015, 09:58:55 am »
The nameplate on the one in Salisbury Road has dropped/been helped off in the last few weeks.
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Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #187 on: August 03, 2015, 12:34:23 pm »
An item from the D.Post

COUNCIL RESERVES: A Conwy Council committee is this morning hearing that the authority had £26.753m in cash backed reserves and balances as at March 31, 2015.

 Many authorities hold reserves for a variety of reasons

Offline Fester

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #188 on: February 12, 2016, 04:34:09 pm »
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35557725

This is just brilliant and I can't help wondering how many such people inhabit offices in councils in England or Wales?.
Fester...
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Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #189 on: March 25, 2016, 04:52:17 pm »
This is how much your council tax has gone up this year compared to everyone else in Wales

Every local authority in Wales has put its council tax up this year.
The average Band D council tax bills in Wales are rising by a total of 3.5 per cent.
The highest rise is for Blaenau Gwent residents who will face an average rise of £60. The lowest is in Caerphilly where the average rise is £19.

As a percentage, the rise varies from 4.4% in Conwy - the biggest increase in the country - to just 1.5% in Caerphilly.
Residents of Monmouthshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire also face rises of more than 4% when all council and police charges are taken into account.

However, the average Band D bill does not tell the full story.
Council tax bands are based on the historic value of each property. That means that in Blaenau Gwent, where properties tend to be cheaper, most houses fall into lower bands. People in those homes do not pay the full Band D bill.
In terms of the amount people actually pay - the average bill per dwelling - Monmouthshire has the most expensive council tax in Wales for 2016/17, at £1,573.
Conwy
What’s the percentage rise? 4.4%
How much will an average Band D property pay? £1,342
How much extra will you pay this year? £56

More...  http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/how-much-your-council-tax-11095300

Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #190 on: March 28, 2016, 01:28:30 pm »
Conwy taxpayers' £20k bill for councillor who attended just a third of meetings...because he works away as a sea captain

A Conwy councillor earned almost £20,000 of taxpayers’ cash while attending only a third of his meetings - because he works away as a sea captain.
Cllr Jobi Hold has only been to 17 of 50 Conwy council meetings in the last 18 months, and during that time has been skippering boats for a Netherlands-based company working in the oil and gas industry.
The Labour Mostyn ward member said he was able to keep up with council business via his iPad.
But he admitted that being away meant he was sometimes not able 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.”
When asked what he now intended to do about the situation, he said: “At this moment in time I’m not too sure.”

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.”

Cllr Hold received £19,950 from Conwy council in the last 18 months.
Leader and cabinet positions and payments made to committee chairs cost Conwy’s taxpayers about £500,000 a year.
After an Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW) report suggested keeping allowances at the same rate for 2016/17, the Daily Post approached the council to ask whether members had considered reducing their payments voluntarily.

A council spokeswoman said: “Members were given the opportunity to comment on the IRPW’s draft report for 2016/17.
“The Democratic Services Committee reviewed the draft report and formulated a response on behalf of the council.
“But it’s worth noting that individual councillors can decide to forego part or all of their salary if they want.”

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-taxpayers-20k-bill-councillor-11102496

Offline Fester

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #191 on: March 28, 2016, 01:45:50 pm »
Council members and politicians are broadly all as bad, (these days),  but this gravy train will rumble on because we let it continue.
Fester...
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Offline Hugo

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #192 on: March 28, 2016, 02:09:12 pm »
Council members and politicians are broadly all as bad, (these days),  but this gravy train will rumble on because we let it continue.

It's not that long ago since  the  Conservative Councillor Steve Wolfe was in the news, he moved to London and was reported to have kept claiming his allowance even though he never attended a meeting for over 6 months. It was also reported that he never returned his Council owned lap-top computer, perhaps only a few hundred pounds but, after all, our few hundred pounds.
Steve Wolfe was well reported in the local papers for his absence with fellow Councillors demanding his resignation and return of lap-top.
That's saying something when his fellow Councillors wanted his resignation!


Offline Fester

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #193 on: March 28, 2016, 02:21:00 pm »
I saw this comment on Facebook,

He is only getting away with what Conwy County Council are allowing him to do so, prehaps this is why we will have to have our bins emptied every three weeks, because the councilors would never vote to cut there salaries only the services they should provide.
Fester...
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Offline SteveH

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Re: CCBC costs and cutting
« Reply #194 on: April 03, 2016, 12:12:42 pm »
"Conwy taxpayers' £20k bill for councillor who attended just a third of meetings...because he works away as a sea captain"     The above post from the 28th march was bad enough, but todays reply from The leader of Conwy council ’s Labour group is farcical......... make you laugh?....Cry?.......probably both.   &shake&

Conwy sea skipper councillor's attendance defended by Labour leader

The leader of Conwy council ’s Labour group has defended a councillor who has only turned up to a third of meetings because he works away as a sea captain.
Councillor Chris Hughes said “the majority of decisions take place away from the chamber” in response to questions about Cllr Jobi Hold’s 34% attendance record.

The Mostyn ward representative on the council works away for six weeks at a time as a skipper for a Dutch merchant company but still picked up £20,000 in taxpayer cash in that time .

Cllr Hughes said he saw no conflict between Cllr Hold’s inability to make meetings and his ability to serve constituents.

He said: “He’s being working away but he’s still been doing a fair number of meetings. He is still actively doing his job.
“He has had this opportunity to work away for this period of time and he has taken this for the benefit of his family.
“It’s the cabinet which makes almost all the decisions.
“If you look at councillors attendance, I know it’s part of the job, but from my perspective the vast majority of decisions take place away from the chamber.”
Cllr Hughes said he accepted Cllr Hold’s attendance might not look good to the general public but insists performance and results matter more.
“There are issues around perception,” he continued.

“What I would say is that the job is significantly more than being in meetings.
“At the moment I see that Jobi is doing a fair amount of work.

“No one has expressed the view that he is not performing a service.”
Despite his defence of Cllr Hold, the Labour group leader did admit there was some disquiet over the affair.
He said: “I wouldn’t say we are happy, I would say that as far as we are aware he is acting on behalf of constitutents when they contact him.
“It can be as simple as picking up a phone.
“None of us ever know how active he is. All we know is what we actually see.

“I do know that Jobi is undertaking work for his constituents at this time.
“To what extent he is active in terms of the number of people who are contacting him, I don’t know as much about that.
“He does read agendas and he does contact his cabinet members about concerns from his constituents.
“It is certainly something we will keep abreast of as a group.”

Cllr Hughes said the acid test for any councillor is what they achieve for their constituents and reiterated this was not a concern for him regarding Cllr Hold.

“As a party we will always want to to see people out there are being represented,” he said.
“If I was seeing people weren’t being represented we would be taking that up.
“But from what I see and what I hear, he is doing what he is being asked to do by his constituents.”

When questioned about his attendance, Cllr Hold told the Daily Post that he kept on top of council business on his iPad while working away but said he might not always be able to be at meetings where issues affecting his constituents were being discussed and decided.
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-sea-skipper-councillors-attendance-11130215