Community Governance Review Petition Oakham Town Council Abolition

Community Governance Review Petition Oakham Town Council Abolition


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A public petition to trigger a community governance review to be conducted by the principal authority Rutland County Council DC.

Abolish Oakham Town Council and save Oakham Taxpayers Money.

Parish councils are very old dating from the eighth century in varying forms but more recognisably from the sixteenth century. Currently they can also be known as “city council”, “town council”, “village council”, “neighbourhood council” or “community council”.

In past Oakham Town Council had substantial duties but these were gradually taken over by other authorities such as Rutland County Council DC.

Nowadays Oakham Town Council's limited duties include:-

The Management of three parks including 2 children’s play areas and 1 playing field.

One public convenience

One Public clock at All Saints Church Oakham

A very poor effort to Encourage tourism

Provides some expensive and unimaginative, floral displays

A costly series of poorly attended band concerts.

Don't mention the Christmas Lights.

Most of its annual income of £230,000 is spent on administering the council.

It should be noted that Oakham Town Council's duties are not essential and most have already been taken over (or could be taken over) by Rutland County Council DC

Funding of Oakham Town Council is mainly by precept from District Councils Budget. Essentially it is a charge upon Council Tax.

A typical small Council could be around £40,000 a year.
Precepts in excess of £140,000 have to be the subject of public notice so such precepts are described as probably unusual.

I believe Oakham Town Council's precept is set using pointless budget.

Oakham Town Council failed to comply with local government law by not
submitting its accounts to the external auditor, Grant Thornton and became very difficult and obstructive when challenged. 

And point blankly refused to re-audit the accounts which were previously found to contain five serious errors.

Public opinion of Oakham Town Council is not good, the latest tweet from a former Conservative Candidate shows that to be very true.

Dr John Park 
"Bloody idiots. They are complete laughing stock. All you are doing is asking valid questions."

So if you are a Oakham resident and would like to see the Abolition of Oakham Town Council. please sign this online petition.

Although the Town Council is very old, this cannot be the justification for preserving it.

Oakham Town Council has forgotten its purpose.

It is not as they see themselves as social club or charity, it is a tier of local government.

It does not provide value for money.

In 2009 Rutland County Council described it as dysfunctional, nothing has changed since then. 

Oakham Town Council bully and exclude anyone who is critical of them.

This includes a dispute with a resident which has continued for over ten years.

Another resident complains about a Councillor who orders them about where they should or should not walk their dog.

Personally I have attempted to support the taxpayer.

Those who support Oakham Town Council turn very nasty and make false allegations, in 2013 this resulted in two of the biggest bullies succeeding in corrupting Leicestershire Police and I was subjected to a costly five day trial.

Part of the news report:

Two people, Rutland County Council chief executive Helen Briggs and Oakham Town Councilor Charles Haworth accused Brookes of stalking and harassing them, the police prosecuted and he went on trial.

He was found not guilty at Leicester Magistrates Court on Monday (14 October).

District Judge John Temperley said Brookes was not harassing Briggs by repeatedly emailing and blogging about her, just using his freedom of expression.

He also accepted Brookes had phoned and texted Haworth because he was trying to find out who was attacking him on a website which had been set up anonymously by the councilor.

As the Rutland Times reports, Judge Temperley said: ‘Freedom of expression is an essential function of a democratic society. It is applicable also to those who offend and shock.

‘Some of the comment is harsh, shocking or personally offensive, but that does not mean it is criminal.’

Haworth had argued in the trial his attacks on Brookes on his Laughing Stocks website were satirical.

But Judge Temperley said: ‘I don’t agree. Some of the material goes way beyond satire. They are crude and crass and homophobic.’

And the judge said other claims made by Howarth against Brookes were ‘exaggerated’.

Since the May 2015 Election Oakham Town Council has not achieved much and has become more obstructive and aggressive.

Recently a Oakham Town Councillor resigned in his resignation letter he says.

Can you advise the Council members I will be resigning from the council from today the 20th august.

My reason are as stated, I have add to tolerate constant aggression and violence to other council members. I am a peaceful person who joined the council to make a difference, the only difference I have made is to change my character from peaceful to aggressive, which I am not willing to accept any longer.

Regards Dave Blanksby

This is not what voters should expect their representatives should experience

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