In these tough economic times, is it the right time to propose a cut to the West Berks "Vanity Fund"??? I genuinely believe that West Berks members should be allowed to spend what other authorities spend, and in my experience that is £2,000 per member per year. This would mean that the budget allowance at West Berkshire would be £104,000 rather than £250,000 (a saving of £146,000). This money could then be reallocated to other projects, such as keeping the magistrates court open, saving local bus services or introducting an anti-social behaviour team at Newbury police station.

Thoughts???

Quoted from richard.garvie

In these tough economic times, is it the right time to propose a cut to the West Berks "Vanity Fund"??? I genuinely believe that West Berks members should be allowed to spend what other authorities spend, and in my experience that is £2,000 per member per year. This would mean that the budget allowance at West Berkshire would be £104,000 rather than £250,000 (a saving of £146,000). This money could then be reallocated to other projects, such as keeping the magistrates court open, saving local bus services or introducting an anti-social behaviour team at Newbury police station.

Thoughts???

  What's a vanity fund ??

Basically a pot of money for councillors to implement mini pojects. It works out around £5k per councillor. I've called it the vanity fund as it is normally spent on projects which boost councillors ego's.

Would you give some examples?

I'm just in from the cinema and trying to understand why User23 tries to completely distort anything I write on here and Newbury Today. However, I will request a list of projects from this year and last year and publish them here when I recieve it. But if you have a look at the budget information from the council meeting in March, it explains why the £250k is kept to one side for councillors to spend.

A full list is not necessary, but I only ask because when one makes a statement like yours, it is usually prudent to give some examples, otherwise it just sounds like an opinion.

councillors ego's

interesting .

The money is set aside to spend on personal projects, you can see it in the budget. I just don't want to say certain projects were paid for by this fund if they weren't, but things like our new cycling signs in Newbury etc.

So is this a lack of transparency?

This particular fund is set aside for councillors to achieve personal goals, and in this case I wouldn't say it has anything to do with transparency. My view is that councillors should be given £2,000 per year to pursue a community project in their ward. That is the average across the UK, and the £146,000 saving could be spent elsewhere.

Quoted from richard.garvie

This particular fund is set aside for councillors to achieve personal goals, and in this case I wouldn't say it has anything to do with transparency. My view is that councillors should be given £2,000 per year to pursue a community project in their ward. That is the average across the UK, and the £146,000 saving could be spent elsewhere.

Can you give us one example, as requested by Greenham Common or has someone called your bluff again?

The 250k is part of the capital budget, and I was told by someone at the council today that the new cycling signs are from the 250k pot. There's one example for you.

Quoted from richard.garvie

The 250k is part of the capital budget, and I was told by someone at the council today that the new cycling signs are from the 250k pot. There's one example for you.

No, have you actually got any actual examples, not any of this "I was told by someone" nonsense (i.e. "I made it up") you seem to come out with. Post the links up here please, I'd hate to call your bluff again like pretty much everyone seems to be doing at the moment.

Ring up the council and ask them where the Cylcling signs were paid from. That's what I did. I've requested a copy of all projects funded from this pot, and if I don't get it I will apply to somebody else.

Quoted from richard.garvie

Ring up the council and ask them where the Cylcling signs were paid from. That's what I did. I've requested a copy of all projects funded from this pot, and if I don't get it I will apply to somebody else.

Why didn't you say that rather than "someone told me". You only just thought of it, didn't you?

I think you're a great addition to this forum, you're really quite entertaining.

Whatever you say. I had a number of discussions today, one of which proves everything I have said about the integrity of West Berkshire as an authority but we won't go there. Things are going to change next year, you'll see

Quoted from richard.garvie

Whatever you say. I had a number of discussions today, one of which proves everything I have said about the integrity of West Berkshire as an authority but we won't go there. Things are going to change next year, you'll see

Great, which ward in Newbury are you standing in, I might have the chance to vote for you.

Talking of cuts when are the reductions in Staffing coming in for WBC?? Is 23 on the list??

From what the local unions say, nobody knows. Again, this is a perfect example of make it up as you go politics, Nick Carter (who is unelected) filled in a survey for the BBC saying 150 people were likely to go, apparently because that was the average national response figure (according to Graham Jones). It's beyond belief that somebody would simply estimate, causing fear amongst staff all accross the local authority. I have spoke to care workers who have came to the conclusion that they hope to be given redundancy, but at the same time that department was recruiting up until three weeks ago so the chances of any of them going seem slim (otherwise why were they still recruiting?.

Now we are told that the Chief Exec has rejected proposals put forward by staff and unions to keep their jobs (even though we don't know who is likely to be chopped), and the council are now formulating a proposal to ask certain people to take unpaid leave or a reduction in hours. It's all been very clever, but why could the chief exec not just say at the time of the BBC survey that he was unsure of the numbers that would go, or is the leader of the council speaking out of turn??? For me, there has been the creation of a fear culture with all council employees having to look over their shoulders all the time. Hardly a way to inspire morale.

For User23's benefit, the Lib Dems asked the question as to who filled out the survey at a council meeting earlier this year, to which Graham Jones replied. The full question and answer is on the minutes of the meeting, if you can't find it I will look when I get home this evening as I'm in Lincolnshire all day.