Liberal Democrats councillors in Merthyr Tydfil are celebrating success in the Council chamber after a debate they initiated on the Mayor’s budget has resulted in annual savings of £8,500.
The party has been calling for tighter controls on spending since last May when six Welsh Liberal Democrats were elected to the Council. We believed there was too much money being spent on councillor-only hospitality.
We gave Labour and the Independent group a chance to put an end to their junkets but they have refused. I am disgusted that our Labour and Independent councillors waste tax payers money by treating themselves to free booze and food several times a year at social events closed to the public.
I think this is wrong and it is time this wasteful and selfish practice was stopped. Thanks to a proposal put forward by Welsh Lib Dem councillors last October, Merthyr Full Council agreed there should be tighter scrutiny of the Mayor’s budget and the results of this have led to annual efficiency savings of £8,500. But Council failed to grasp the opportunity to reform the Mayor’s hospitality account, so the free booze and food for councillors will continue.
The amount of money the Mayor has to spend on hospitality remains too high and it is worrying that the annual overspend, running into thousands of pounds, has remained unchecked for so long.
We are always being told that the council is strapped for cash, so it seems bizarre to still be funding free food and alcohol for councillors. To put it in context, the annual spend of the Mayor’s office is 3 times what it raises for charitable causes. Clearly this cannot continue.
The scrutiny report into the Mayor’s budget can be found here. The Mayor’s Hospitality Account is called the ‘Mayors No. 2 A/c’ and the spend on this Account was £19,251 for 2007/2008 .
Councillor Amy Kitcher represents the Town Ward on Merthyr Tydfil Council for the Welsh Liberal Democrats
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