The Case Against Civic Duties Options

[Simon Kirby]

As we'll be having an election for the town council in a few weeks time I thought we might have a bit of a delve into what the town council does, and how efficiently it does it. It's been my complaint that our town councillors don't scrutinise the council's services - neither the Lib Dems nor the Tories - and that the council runs itself for its own benefit. That's bad for local democracy, and acutely bad if you get on the wrong side of the council, but it also makes for poor public services and high taxes. There's a list of costed services here.

So today the spotlight falls on the Civic Duties service.

The Civic Duties service provides the mayor who attends various functions representing the town council, including foreign holidays representing the town at its European twins. The Civic Duties service also provides the hats and gowns that the councillors wear on special occasions.

The service is the thrid most expensive thing the town council does after the parks and cemeteries. It has running costs of £19k made up of £3,250 for the mayor's expenses, another £3,250 paid to the people like the town crier, mace bearer, and attendants, £2,000 for the do they hold in the Corn Exchange to crown the mayor, £1,500 each year to spend on regalia and dressing up clothes, another £500 annually just for robes, £1,000 for general hospitality, another £700 for the remembrance day do, £5,600 for twin town travel and general schmoozing, £500 for other civic events, £400 for the annual awards, and £575 for some brass band.

That's the running costs, but the full service cost also includes £37,000 of costs for the council staff who keep the mayor's diary and presumably organise those civic events, and a £48,000 share of the council's considerable overheads for things like the office accommodation and the people who answer the phones.

All in the Civic Duties service costs the Newbury percept-payer £104,099.

I don't think that's very good value. I've never heard the brass band and I'm not interested in going to the Corn Exchange to the see the mayor crowned, and if we're to have a mayor I'd just as soon he wore smart/casual than lorded it about in a gown and a tri-corn hat, leastwise not when that hat costs a couple of grand.

Civic pride is a good thing, but it comes from having a civil administration to be proud of - and Newbury Town Council are over-indulged and self-important, and they shame the town. I don't want to be taxed to send the mayor on a foreign holiday that I couldn't possibly afford myself. If you're into the twin-town thing then great, but pay for it yourselves. Likewise, if you're into having a symbolic mayor then join the Newbury Society, or better still get involved in the carnival and elect a carnival king and queen.

It's entirely right that the town councillors attend civic functions such as remembrance sunday, but surely to goodness we don't need to pay them to go do we? Can't they choose to go anyways?

I would very much like Newbury to have civic pride, but this council service is self-serving and grotesquely expensive. The entirety of the council's obligations could be adequately met from a £5k budget if we had a modestly sized council operating from a sensible office with a part-time clerk and councillors who weren't in it for the vanity and perks. Until the council can be reconstructed there is nothing to be proud about, so we should drop the entire service - and if we did that who would even notice.

[x2lls]

As we'll be having an election for the town council in a few weeks time I thought we might have a bit of a delve into what the town council does, and how efficiently it does it. It's been my complaint that our town councillors don't scrutinise the council's services - neither the Lib Dems nor the Tories - and that the council runs itself for its own benefit. That's bad for local democracy, and acutely bad if you get on the wrong side of the council, but it also makes for poor public services and high taxes. There's a list of costed services here.

So today the spotlight falls on the Civic Duties service.

The Civic Duties service provides the mayor who attends various functions representing the town council, including foreign holidays representing the town at its European twins. The Civic Duties service also provides the hats and gowns that the councillors wear on special occasions.

The service is the thrid most expensive thing the town council does after the parks and cemeteries. It has running costs of £19k made up of £3,250 for the mayor's expenses, another £3,250 paid to the people like the town crier, mace bearer, and attendants, £2,000 for the do they hold in the Corn Exchange to crown the mayor, £1,500 each year to spend on regalia and dressing up clothes, another £500 annually just for robes, £1,000 for general hospitality, another £700 for the remembrance day do, £5,600 for twin town travel and general schmoozing, £500 for other civic events, £400 for the annual awards, and £575 for some brass band.

That's the running costs, but the full service cost also includes £37,000 of costs for the council staff who keep the mayor's diary and presumably organise those civic events, and a £48,000 share of the council's considerable overheads for things like the office accommodation and the people who answer the phones.

All in the Civic Duties service costs the Newbury percept-payer £104,099.

I don't think that's very good value. I've never heard the brass band and I'm not interested in going to the Corn Exchange to the see the mayor crowned, and if we're to have a mayor I'd just as soon he wore smart/casual than lorded it about in a gown and a tri-corn hat, leastwise not when that hat costs a couple of grand.

Civic pride is a good thing, but it comes from having a civil administration to be proud of - and Newbury Town Council are over-indulged and self-important, and they shame the town. I don't want to be taxed to send the mayor on a foreign holiday that I couldn't possibly afford myself. If you're into the twin-town thing then great, but pay for it yourselves. Likewise, if you're into having a symbolic mayor then join the Newbury Society, or better still get involved in the carnival and elect a carnival king and queen.

It's entirely right that the town councillors attend civic functions such as remembrance sunday, but surely to goodness we don't need to pay them to go do we? Can't they choose to go anyways?

I would very much like Newbury to have civic pride, but this council service is self-serving and grotesquely expensive. The entirety of the council's obligations could be adequately met from a £5k budget if we had a modestly sized council operating from a sensible office with a part-time clerk and councillors who weren't in it for the vanity and perks. Until the council can be reconstructed there is nothing to be proud about, so we should drop the entire service - and if we did that who would even notice.

Perhaps they could take some lessons from the new pope's attitude, and learn the true meaning of serve.

[MontyPython]

Perhaps they could take some lessons from the new pope's attitude, and learn the true meaning of serve.

As opposed to some of his priests attitude which was to "shaft", a policy apparently adopted by WBC!

[On the edge]

This is just dreadful and the more publicity it gets the better. I suspect that most of those who are intimately involved with remembrance day would rather the civic party didn't turn up, if it needs to be paid. This is not civic pride, its a civic p*** take; and lets face it, they can't even do that without squabbling with WBC about who pays for the lavatory.

Perhaps some passive protest would be in order. We could hold a collection in Market Place for old clothes like they do for the Nursery School dressing up box, or hand out some kids party bags after the Council meetings.

[Andy Capp]

Would the Remembrance Day money be anything to do with security, police, road closure, or whatever?

[Biker1]

Looking at those figures the market also gets a £1000 a week subsidy.
Good value for money??

[Simon Kirby]

Would the Remembrance Day money be anything to do with security, police, road closure, or whatever?

I really don't know, and there isn't really any way of finding out because the council will just lie about what the money gets spent of and the councillors don't know, and don't want to know.

But I think not. There are only two expenses recorded against Remembrance Day:

14-November 3 Poppy wreaths for Remembrance Sunday £60.00
30-Nov J Expenses: Remembrance Sunday £5.95

I can't find any kind of expenditure for security or anything of that nature, and everything the council spends is available in their Schedule of Payments.

[Simon Kirby]

Looking at those figures the market also gets a £1000 a week subsidy.
Good value for money??

I was planning on shining a light on the different services one thread at a time. I'll make the Charter Market the next one.

[Simon Kirby]

This is just dreadful and the more publicity it gets the better. I suspect that most of those who are intimately involved with remembrance day would rather the civic party didn't turn up, if it needs to be paid. This is not civic pride, its a civic p*** take; and lets face it, they can't even do that without squabbling with WBC about who pays for the lavatory.

Perhaps some passive protest would be in order. We could hold a collection in Market Place for old clothes like they do for the Nursery School dressing up box, or hand out some kids party bags after the Council meetings.

Perhaps the Tories and Lib Dems will publish the breakdown of service costs in their election pamphlets - they're completely comfortable with the costs so they can't have any reason to hide. It's a shame RUP has gone away, I would have liked to have heard from him whether he supported the spending or whether there was anything he wanted to apologise for. I'm assuming he's been ordered off by High-Command.

[On the edge]

RUP has been 'off message' on a couple of occasions which is really quite refreshing. That certainly won't be appreciated and yes he'll have been shown the rubber gloves by now! LibDems; seek commanders rather than leaders.

[Cognosco]

I was planning on shining a light on the different services one thread at a time. I'll make the Charter Market the next one.

Nice one Simon! It may, just may, awaken the apathetic electorate we seem to have in Newbury if there is enough publicity given to this complete waste of money by our local redundant council.
I wonder if we could locate a local publication in Newbury that would help publish these figures?

[Andy Capp]

If only they would have supported self management.

[Cognosco]

If only they would have supported self management.

I hear vexatious! vexatious! being screamed - even though the £100.00 mediation course has been completed!

[Andy Capp]

I hear vexatious! vexatious! being screamed - even though the £100.00 mediation course has been completed!

Er ... you need to add another £900.00 on that!

[Cognosco]

Er ... you need to add another £900.00 on that!

Sorry typo! Thought he may have haggled for a discount!

[Simon Kirby]

I wonder if we could locate a local publication in Newbury that would help publish these figures?

But where could there be such a publication? ...

[Andy Capp]

What does £104,099 mean in cash terms to a council tax bill?

[Simon Kirby]

What does £104,099 mean in cash terms to a council tax bill?

If you pay council tax at band "D" then £7.83 of your precept goes on Civic Duties.

[blackdog]

I happen to like having a mayor and a bit of ceremonial a couple of times a year - and like the idea of a mayor in fancy dress. I am far from convinced that the entire council need to dress up, especially if the bill for the dressing up clothes mounts up (considering it's only two days a year for a couple of hours each time).

The mayor spends many unpaid hours supporting local events and causes - okay it's a bit hackneyed - but, nevertheless it works to get some publicity for the work of a wide range of voluntary organisations and good causes through the year, gives local old folks an outing, raises money for the mayor's charity etc. - its not all take. I think it is a positive contribution towards Newbury as a community.

However, I have no idea what benefits anyone gets from twinning (apart from the occasional jolly for the mayor and consort) - and one quite enjoyable display of flag tossing a few years back.

And I have to point out that the town hall will not disappear if we stop having a mayor - the £48k overheads will not magically go away, they will almost all stay to be piled onto other service lines as an increased overhead.

[On the edge]

I happen to like having a mayor and a bit of ceremonial a couple of times a year - and like the idea of a mayor in fancy dress. I am far from convinced that the entire council need to dress up, especially if the bill for the dressing up clothes mounts up (considering it's only two days a year for a couple of hours each time).

The mayor spends many unpaid hours supporting local events and causes - okay it's a bit hackneyed - but, nevertheless it works to get some publicity for the work of a wide range of voluntary organisations and good causes through the year, gives local old folks an outing, raises money for the mayor's charity etc. - its not all take. I think it is a positive contribution towards Newbury as a community.

However, I have no idea what benefits anyone gets from twinning (apart from the occasional jolly for the mayor and consort) - and one quite enjoyable display of flag tossing a few years back.

And I have to point out that the town hall will not disappear if we stop having a mayor - the £48k overheads will not magically go away, they will almost all stay to be piled onto other service lines as an increased overhead.

I think a good many would like a community charge which stayed in line with our tour income but we won't get our wish!

Many years ago the office of Mayor and indeed the local councils were considered to be worthy institutions. The incumbents to be honoured and respected. That meant local people gave the robes and civic regalia to commemorate various things. They didn't anticipate the office holders would dip into the till to provide the theatrical props.

Yes, the Mayor even today attends charity events and such like. However, the state of local politics is such that the more cynical amongst us would argue that this is simply a vote catching exercise. Most charities seem more than capable of surviving without this dubious pleasure; even purely local ones. Dignity does not come from dressing up, but from bearing; smart business dress is all that is necessary. The chain can remain as it doesn't suffer from the predations of moths and in its case, one size fits all.

As for the Town Hall, again, sorry, it does not need to exist. Even the Town Council see it as unnecessary even for ceremonial; they hold mayor making in the Corn Exchange according to the budget! If it were that valuable an asset and so necessary to good public administration, Newbury District Council would not have moved out in the first place.

There is no reason why the Town Council should not leave this expensive property completely and leave the landlord, presumably WBC to do what should have been done when their predecessors left, find a proper use or dispose of it. Planning regulations will protect against the destruction of the decorative bits, so most of us wouldn't even notice.