2:58pm Thursday 13th November 2008
By its decision to hire expensive consultants, Merton Council has once again shown its inability to get its priorities right.
I am surprised that the actual cost cannot be released for “confidentiality reasons”, since there is a clear public interest in view of the level, quality and cost of services, which residents can expect over the coming months.
It is not the administration’s fault that central Government has seen fit to offer/impose an unfavourable financial settlement, any more than previous Labour councils were to blame when the last Tory Government routinely under-funded Merton for nakedly partisan reasons as compared with, say neighbouring Wandsworth.
As an ex-councillor, I am also aware that budget exercises are very difficult for all concerned, where tough choices have to be made.
However, all local authorities have a responsibility to use the resources they have to best effect, ensuring the provision of accessible and affordable front line services in the first instance.
This does not mean “splashing the cash” on consultants, which by definition means less money being left for those services.
I am also dubious as to what extra advice they could impart to officers beyond the knowledge and expertise that should already exist.
How about involving residents in the process, or will this now be too inconvenient and/or unaffordable?
IAIN DYSART
Raynes Park
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