Cut town council by a third

Published on 19th April 2007 in Letters

Sir - Whilst having every sympathy with recent correspondents in their wish to disband Goole Town Council, particularly in light of all the recent political squabbling which we have seen on the pages of your newspaper, I fear that wish is unachievable.

Goole, if for no other reason than the size of the population, needs a governing body or committee to make decisions on the disbursement of 'minor finances' under headings such as Parks and Cemeteries, Play Areas, CCTV, Allotments and many other 'Civic Housekeeping' undertakings.

What Goole does not need is a council operating in parallel with the county council, and trying to involve itself in matters best left to the county council and the expertise of the full-time professionals employed there.

If the Town councillors stick to involvement only within their brief, then party politics need play no part in those duties. The political power balance within the County Council is a matter for the electorate, not Goole Town Council.

The name 'Town Council' is a misnomer, as only a small proportion of the parish of Goole is in the town proper. I would suggest that re-naming it 'Goole Parish Council' would be effective in not only de-bunking the self-importance and political aspirations of some of our current councillors, but would serve to remind them of what their duties are and to whom they owe the duty of care.

Goole is divided into five wards, four of which are represented by three councillors each, the fifth being represented by five councillors - a total of 17 councillors.

On checking which councillors are involved in the various committees, the same few names appear to be doing the lion's share of the day-to-day mundane council duties, whilst the 'political animals' appear to specialise in trying to obtain funding, from whatever source, for grandiose capital expenditure schemes (art centres, country parks, etc) which, even if funded by external sources initially, will end up being funded, in respect of staffing, maintenance and general running costs, by the council-tax payer.

I would suggest that the number of councillors elected to 'Goole Parish Council' could be reduced from 17 to 11, a saving of 30 per cent in associated costs, and without detriment to the council process.

In actuality, the reduction in numbers would probably make the decision making process far simpler, by eliminating the current atmosphere of political bias, spin and counter-spin.

I would recommend the following initial course of action to all Goole residents and council tax payers:

1. You MUST vote in the forthcoming May elections for your Goole Ward councillors. If you do not vote, then the same faces and the same money-wasting schemes will continue... nothing will change!

2. Vote only for people who stand as Independent candidates. Do NOT vote for people who declare affiliation to any political party.

3. If, when you go to vote, there are no independent candidates on your form, do not vote for any candidate declaring political affiliation, but write at the bottom of your voting paper "none of the above".

It behoves all right-thinking people to act now, before any more damage is done to your town, and your pocket.

Despite the impression which Goole Town councillors try to generate in the media, Goole is a relatively small market town with a friendly and diverse population and not, God forbid, a budding city or an off-shoot of the Palace of Westminster!

M. Atkin

Bretton Avenue, Goole