A recent request for some information has revealed expenditure that I for one am alarmed about.............you decide for yourself!
I requested the annual cost to council for our membership of the Local Government Association (LGA) a talking shop for local authorities and of no real value to tax payers in my opinion,
they are as follows
2007/08 £ 16249.84
2008/09 £ 13485.72
2009/10 £ 10000.00
2010/11 £ 8180.00
2011/12 £ 6825.00
total £ 54740.56
Translation services !!!
2006-07 £ 4244.45
2007-08 £ 2257.51
2008-09 £ 6203.06
2009-10 £ 3282.35 ?
2010-11 £ 5941.67
total £ 21929.04
International Links and Town twinning!
2006-07 £ 2002.15
2007-08 £ 9466.21
2008-09 £ 9932.52
2009-10 £ 3435.37
2010-11 £ 3000.00
total £ 27836.25
Is it any wonder that the council has been struggling to balance the budget when its is hemorrhaging tax payers money on such items!
Add your comments is you wish but please refrain from swearing!
Friday 3 June 2011
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Updates
Following on from my blog last week, the latest I have received from the Chief Exec is that its always been "protocol" to conduct matters in the way he prescribed......well that's news to me as I have numerous emails from Officers over the years where that was NOT as per the "protocol" he describes. Hmmmm
On another equally frustrating matter I have 3 times requested financial information relating to the costs associated with Party in the Park, in order to see how the costs spiralled from £40868 in 2001/2 to £124,809 in 2008/9. I have been drip fed bit by bit and still have no detailed breakdown of how this cost managed to escalate out of control!
Call me a cynic but I don't buy it! Of course when something becomes so expensive it becomes more and more difficult to justify the spend and perhaps some interesting expenditure has found its way into the Cost center for party in the park, just to help it on its way...OUT that is!
Some may recall I stood alone in trying to get funds used from the " £660,000 Community Cohesion Money,before it was squandered away on officer salaries and charities, this was to no avail subsequently the event was Binned and some shifty nasty poor relation substitute offered in its place.
Watch this space as this is still on The English Democrats agenda!
On another equally frustrating matter I have 3 times requested financial information relating to the costs associated with Party in the Park, in order to see how the costs spiralled from £40868 in 2001/2 to £124,809 in 2008/9. I have been drip fed bit by bit and still have no detailed breakdown of how this cost managed to escalate out of control!
Call me a cynic but I don't buy it! Of course when something becomes so expensive it becomes more and more difficult to justify the spend and perhaps some interesting expenditure has found its way into the Cost center for party in the park, just to help it on its way...OUT that is!
Some may recall I stood alone in trying to get funds used from the " £660,000 Community Cohesion Money,before it was squandered away on officer salaries and charities, this was to no avail subsequently the event was Binned and some shifty nasty poor relation substitute offered in its place.
Watch this space as this is still on The English Democrats agenda!
Friday 13 May 2011
Early Days
An interesting but somewhat frustrating first week post election, namely that fellow English Democrat Cllr Elliott Fountain and I have had a few challenges trying to get information from officers at the council due to the Chief exec apparently banning Cllrs and officers speaking unless its through the head of department. Now of course I expect that the heads of each dept are very busy people so the last thing they need is Cllrs constantly calling them to seek advice and or clarification on ward matters ( as has been the case this week), the off shot of that has been having to wait days to get calls returned and emails answered.
I have emailed the Chief Exec for clarification, and await a reply.
However we are undeterred and in typical Bulldog spirit will keep on until we have the answers we need.......is Boston Borough Council prepared???
I have emailed the Chief Exec for clarification, and await a reply.
However we are undeterred and in typical Bulldog spirit will keep on until we have the answers we need.......is Boston Borough Council prepared???
Friday 6 May 2011
As many people who follow local politics here in Boston may be aware I have drawn a line under my association with the BNP and stood for election as an English Democrat. I am proud and honored to have been re elected as an ENGLISH DEMOCRAT along with Elliott Fountain, together we will be working very hard to improve the plight of our Townsfolk and ensure that the English are not left by the wayside when it comes to opportunity and equality in these challenging times.
We shall be taking a particular interest in HMO's, Party in the Park and looking for ways to bring Boston back to being a proud and hard working community of people who work and play hard!
English and Proud
Monday 10 May 2010
Objective Completed
5.3% means that we have saved our Deposit which is another first for the BNP in Lincolnshire,the icing on the cake has to be a doubling of the vote since 2005 and the destruction of labour, who suffered a remarkable but not surprising slap in the face.
Lets keep our fingers crossed that the unnatural partnership of LibCon delivers what this country so desperately needs and that is PR form of voting.
Lets keep our fingers crossed that the unnatural partnership of LibCon delivers what this country so desperately needs and that is PR form of voting.
Thursday 6 May 2010
Polling day
Finally it's here !!
Today the people of Boston and Skegness have a very real opportunity to express their feelings using the democratic process. One wonders if the electorate will stand by the corrupt and morally inept old gang party's or vote for change....REAL CHANGE, not the yellow Lilly livered Lib Dem kind of change.
My hopes for today are that people will use this as an means of letting those in Westminster know what they really feel.
I am looking forward to keeping my deposit, who knows what other surprises are in store??
Today the people of Boston and Skegness have a very real opportunity to express their feelings using the democratic process. One wonders if the electorate will stand by the corrupt and morally inept old gang party's or vote for change....REAL CHANGE, not the yellow Lilly livered Lib Dem kind of change.
My hopes for today are that people will use this as an means of letting those in Westminster know what they really feel.
I am looking forward to keeping my deposit, who knows what other surprises are in store??
Thursday 29 April 2010
Independent support for democracy
BNP and Independants to work together to allow an elected member full access to the democratic process.
Please fear not, I have in no way whatsoever switched allegiance from the BNP, in fact far from it.
The independents and I are working together simply for the purpose of seat allocation on the committees so that I can more effectively conduct my role as borough councillor for the Fenside ward.
Readers may recall that since my election back in November 2008 I have been trying to gain fair and equal representation on committee seats, I have pursued the issue via the every available channel, finally bringing the matter before the standards committee and full council.
In the now traditional manner we have been accustomed to here in Boston the ruling BBI party voted out an amendment to the constitution that would and could have allowed me to take my rightful place.
I feel that my association with the independent group for this purpose serves both there own cause as well as mine given they have lost one of their number to the conservative group.
As I am sure you are aware I am standing for the British National Party in the forthcoming general election, and I fully expect that after next years local election results the BNP with have a group all of its own in the council chamber.
Cllr David Owens
Please fear not, I have in no way whatsoever switched allegiance from the BNP, in fact far from it.
The independents and I are working together simply for the purpose of seat allocation on the committees so that I can more effectively conduct my role as borough councillor for the Fenside ward.
Readers may recall that since my election back in November 2008 I have been trying to gain fair and equal representation on committee seats, I have pursued the issue via the every available channel, finally bringing the matter before the standards committee and full council.
In the now traditional manner we have been accustomed to here in Boston the ruling BBI party voted out an amendment to the constitution that would and could have allowed me to take my rightful place.
I feel that my association with the independent group for this purpose serves both there own cause as well as mine given they have lost one of their number to the conservative group.
As I am sure you are aware I am standing for the British National Party in the forthcoming general election, and I fully expect that after next years local election results the BNP with have a group all of its own in the council chamber.
Cllr David Owens
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