Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Oakham Town Council Grants Policy

Oakham Town Council Grants Policy

This evening Oakham Town Councillors were asked to review its grants policy.

This refers to public money given out to their friends each year. Cllr Dodds Oakham in Bloom
always gets a large sum.

The defunct Festival always received money no questions asked until recently.

Cllr Lucas joined the Carnival Committee where Cllr Dodds was holder of the purse. After a big
fall out we lost the carnival and the pubic money. Cllr Dodds said she gave it away to good causes
a solicitor told the council they could not reclaim the money because they had freely given away
public money without any conditions attached.

It may be a coincidence but last year Cllr Licas joined the festival and i am told the main organiser
got fed up with the arguments and gave up.

I hope someone somewhere is keeping an eye on the bank account which hold a considerable
sum of publicly acquired money.

Anyway to get back to the review. Cllr Dewis asked if anyone who had received part of the £8000
given away last year had complied with requirements to provide report the response from the Clerk
was no he was still waiting. Cllr Dewis felt a timeline should been added to the application form.
That was agreed, to me this shows a continued failing to show any care or consideration towards
public money.

Ignorant rude and dodgy* Tory Newish Town Councillor Stan Stubs stood up and said I notice
the form start with the request for the persons name, could their position not be added? he asked and sat down.

*referring to his conduct as a parish councillor in the last place he lived. Press reports show he used public money for his own benefit, although the Standards Committee at the time ruled against him his Tory friends
decided it was not a serious enough breach to sanction him. He is unhappy and rude to me because I have
shared this public information with the public here in Oakham.

I would not be surprised if he is not selected by Roger Begy and Terry King to stand in the 2015 County Council elections in 2015 he would nicely into their cosy little cabinet.

As normal Cllr Maureen Dodds asked questions about things that were under her nose if she could just
be bothered to read them. This was pointed out tactfully by Cllr who replied to her stupid questions with
its printed in black and blue, referring to the colour of the paper and ink, well I think he was and not threatening to knock her black and blue as an expression of his exasperation and that of others. It is really
time she took notice of her daughter and resigned. If she could see how Haworth's side of the room take
the piss out of her for what is really her age nothing else, its quite sad really....

A few minor changes were agreed, the clerk was concerned about time for approval so it was decided
the policy would be agreed subject to the amendments that were not clear.

Cllr Lucas quipped just get on with it clerk don't bother us. I admire the Councillors commitment
towards protecting public money.