Some of you may have seen the attached report in the Weston Mercury but it's been sent to me and I thought I should share it so you are informed and able to respond to some of the comments toward villagers by the parish clerk that were bound to arise by asking for a bit of democracy.
You may be aware through information on http://www.bleadon.org.uk/beinvolved.html that the PC has spent over £2000 on training and seminars for the clerk and councillors this year alone. In it's 2011/12 budget it only allowed £1,000 and reduced this to £500 for both 2012/13 & 2013/14 election costs clearly knowing that the actual cost would be more. It seems they presumed that they could rely on their casual vacancy/co-option process and interviewing prospective candidates knowing they could select who they asked. So much for democracy and perhaps why we haven't had a parish election for such a long time, apparently the last one filled after a request for poll was in November 1999 and the last contested election (Three nominees for one vacancy) was September 1997, all others since have been filled through parish council co-option!
So with all the previous years budget savings on elections, there should be more than enough in reserves to cover this easily. If not (as the CPALC suggests) we can always say "What, you have failed in your duty to provide for the cost over all these years!". Anyway, an election is less than the cost of toilets recently taken on at a cost of £3,000, that according to the clerk, would make a very suitable parish council office!
You might also like to email Weston Mercury http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/contact-us and sarah.robinson@archant.co.uk. You can also comment on the actual story here http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/election_could_land_village_with_2_500_bill_1_1993435
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Comments (4)
After reading the comment in the Mercury from our Parish Clerk I should like to point out that as one of the resident signatories, we did realise that we would have to pay for the election for three new councillors, and that money is kept aside in the budget for this specific purpose. The reason we, the residents of Bleadon, would like an election is that we have no confidence in the PC electing the right person for the job! and to have an election for all three candidates at the same time is actually saving Precept money. Our PC seems to think the residents in Bleadon are not interested in our lovely village, NOT TRUE, the truth is if you attend the PC meetings you can't hear what they are saying, and you can't have you say, so what is the point of attending. Time to change Bleadon Parish Council, let the Chair do the talking and not the Clerk!!
Village Resident.
Keep an eye on the figures quoted by Bruce Poole in your article.If there turn out to be the same number of nominations as vacancies no election will actually take place so the cost will be far less.The real objection is that the new councillors will not have been chosen by the existing ones.