Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Oakham Town Council No Precept Increase 2014 - 2015

Oakham Town Council No Precept Increase 2014 -2015

Tonight was the first full council meeting of  Oakham Town Council of 2014

Cllr Guthrie was absent.

The meeting was attended by two young people from the Rutland Youth Council. I felt sorry
for them as repeatedly the Clerk told everyone, "you have all seen this and that. This and that was circulated before the meeting" and as normal there was no debate or comments.

To this date Oakham Town Council fails to comply with laws going back to 2011, it does not
publish any Appendix along with the agenda on or off-line.

The first five items of this evenings agenda were speedily rushed through.

The chairman / Mayor Adam Lowe commented "we could have just put those items in the shredder"

The Clerk gave a brief report, it looks like he is once again not well and heading for a mental break down
very visibly shaky at times.

I gave a brief deputation about a piece of land which I will deal with in another post.

I also raised the issue of the council reinstating expenditure of public money on Booze.
A former Mayor of a few years ago, pledged no public money would be spent on Booze.
I wonder what has changed?

They then moved onto the budget, this has been a saga four drafts starting with a precept cut
to an increase and another, then tonight no increase.

The budget is a farce, we are now told the council has made cuts in the budget and did not spend all its
budget last year, so it is now building a nice reserve with our money.

Reason? none was given accept some very weak reference to more homes and the extra responsibilities
that might entail? Are they going to hang a few expensive flower baskets in the new streets?

Oakham Town Council could have helped residents and cut the precept.

All Councillors, accept homophobic loony Haworth voted to approve a budget that has been
made up.

I wish Haworth would lose his sick smirk, that reminds me I gave a member of the public emails
he shared with Councillors, former Mayors and council staff today, she is not happy with her Councillor
I think he might find he will be losing that smirk very soon. Could be a costly visit to the civil court for him.
A most certainly another serious breach of the code of conduct which when it comes to Oakham Town Council no longer seems to apply to any of them especially him!