Burning Bench Oakham Town Council Twinned Barmstedt in Northern Germany

 

Last week Oakham Town Council discussed setting its budget 

for next year. After it has paid its Clerk his guaranteed increase

they will come to the tax payer and say we are going to take another

increase this year. I hope when they discussed the budget they

remembered to include the replacement of this burnt bench sited

on Ashwell Road. I don't remember seeing anything in this 

years budget for councillor to spend on entertaining 

visitors from Germany. Oakham is twinned with

with the small town of Barmstedt in Northern Germany

The Town Council thought it would be nice to invite their Councillors
over to Oakham, It was agreed at the last Council meeting they would
all be treated to a trip on the Rutland Belle. Paid for by the tax payer.
I wonder how many cheap bottles of Hock will be shared.
Don't get me wrong I not against the visit but come on Oakham
Town Council use the visit to promote Oakham and the struggling
business's who trade in the town. Rutland Water is a Rutland Tourist Attraction
and you may find the odd visitor strays into Oakham but certainly not the
volume of traffic I often see parked up at Rutland Water.

I see this visit as an excuse to just have a nice day
out at the expense of the tax payer.

A little like the dinners you used to have at the Whipper Inn.

I can't find the expense of this years visit in the current budget.

Its my view the budget is not worth the paper it is written on.

The Clerk was surely correct when he said its our job to collect the tax and spend it how we see fit.

Can I suggest you take them for lunch at Jinky's

and afternoon Tea at the Castle Cottage Cafe

If they need to park for free can I suggest the use the space outside the church Cllr Lucas I am sure will be happy to arrange it. Now that it seems the Church now owns this part of the public highway!