Caerphilly residents can have their say on council cuts and a council tax rise at a series of drop-in sessions.
Caerphilly County Borough Council have outlined £12.8m worth of draft cuts and a 3.9% council tax rise in 2015/16.
The first session is at Blackwood Miners’ Institute on Tuesday November 18 from 2pm to 6pm.
The sessions are part of a seven week period of consultation from November 17 to January 2 to ensure as many people as possible get the chance to share their views.
Officers and Cabinet Members from the authority will be on hand to discuss the savings in more detail at the following venues:
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Tuesday November 18 |
2–6pm |
Blackwood Miners’ Institute |
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Friday November 21 |
12pm–5pm |
Risca Palace |
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Tuesday November 25 |
12pm–5pm |
Bargoed Library |
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Friday November 28 |
11am–3pm |
St David’s Community Centre, Rhymney |
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Tuesday December 2 |
2.30pm–6.30pm |
Newbridge Memo |
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Saturday December 13 |
11am–3pm |
Caerphilly Library |
Isn’t this a waste of money! Why is the council so obsessed with asking opinions on everything? They never listen to the opinion even when the have heard them. Just scrap all of the spending going to leisure facilities, community centres, marketing, extracurricular school activities and endless campaigns for something or another.
I think the reason that the opinion of the public is sought by the Council, Dean, is because it is your money that is being spent. I have no problem with this exercise. Of course the true opinion poll is an election but with the number of people willing to get up off their behinds to vote becoming ever fewer some other way of seeking the view of the public on what they value, and what they do not, needed to be found.
I have always preferred persuasion, to cast a ballot, but maybe it’s time forsome form of compulsion to vote, as in several other democratic countries. I reluctantly think this may be the best way to get a proper reflection of opinion at election time. As well as the candidate boxes on the ballot paper there should be a ‘None of the above’ box. This should satisfy those who find they have no time for any of the candidates on offer and those with a religious objection to democracy. The latter is rare but I believe that Jehovah’s Witness adherents do not vote and there may be other faiths that also reject the democratic process.
“…with the number of people willing to get up off their behinds to vote becoming ever fewer…”
This is my key point. I probably didn’t make it as clear it should have been.
With people not bothering to go to the polling station (or post a postal vote), why would they bother to go to these engagement sessions? Polling stations are usually nearer too. These drop in sessions are a fair way from lots of people in Caerphilly (the nearest one for me is a 15 minute power walk and I walk fast). For the old lady who will be most affected by the budget who can’t walk very fast, can’t drive, may not be able to afford a taxi and doesn’t necessarily have a bus pass, the sessions are a no go. With poor weather and a general mood of not wanting to go why would people attend? Once there, the councillors with power are not going to engage or ask opinions, all they will do is defend what they have already decided.
Yes, sadly I think many of the decisions have already been made but the idea of consulting people on what they spend their tax money on is basically sound. If nothing else it forces councillors to justify expenditure.
As an example Cllr. Nigel Dix has questioned the arithmetic of a new cinema paid for by the council. Had he not done so there would be no public debate on this.
Nationally UKIP has brought the concerns of many people regarding whether we want an increasingly federal Europe and unrestricted immigration to the fore. Whatever people’s view on these matters nobody can argue that had it not been for UKIP there would be no debate. Tories, Labour, Lib Dems, Plaid and the Scottish Nationalists all believe that the EU is a force for good, a massive chunk of the population disagree.
What is the point of this exercise when the council does exactly as they please and ignores the taxpayer’s views anyway?
They totally ignored the petition regarding parking charges at pen-y-fan pond. They couldn’t care less about the well being of joe public. They talk about closing leisure centres but grant mcdonalds in Newbridge 24 hour opening. Come off it!