Give councillors a bit of a break

Feb 20 2009

IT is fascinating to read week after week in your letters’ page, attack after attack on our council and councillors on every imaginable subject.

They seem to be regarded as useless and it makes me think we ratepayers must be idiots for voting for them. I happen to know a few of our elected councillors from more than one party and when I see the hours they work and the issues they have to deal with, I would not take their job for 10 times their salary.

There were discussions recently to agree the budget for this coming year and even beforehand, the councillors knew that they would be criticised no matter what decisions they made.

Of course everyone has the right to complain if their pet project is being dropped or is under-funded but such complaints would deserve more consideration if at the same time the complainer suggested which services should be cut to fund their preferred option.

I would like to suggest that the Gaiety be closed immediately so that more funds are available to maintain the local golf courses which attract tourists all year and my game might improve - but I doubt if many would agree with me and they would say I was being selfish!

And I am not very happy about the pot-holes in the roads round my house but one of your correspondents has just written that he would like to see the pavements steam cleaned of chewing gum - hey, I like that so let's do both and close a care home instead!

There is simply not enough money for everything and I am pleased that the SNP Government have given as much additional money as possible from the national budget to all the councils so that council tax does not have to be increased.

I can imagine the letters that would come if the council did decide to increase local tax.

I do share some of your writers' concern that a couple of councillors flying to Dubai to promote Ayrshire does not look particularly good. However, in fairness I will reserve judgement until they report on what has been achieved and if the result is, say, £500 000 in increased tourism revenues this year then it can be argued that it was money well spent.

T Crozier

Eglinton Terrace

Ayr