Oakham Town Council Spending Public Money

Dear Oakham Town Council

(blogged)

I am writing to express my concern about the attitude this council has towards public spending.

The Mayor Councillor Lucas writes to interested applicants who want to serve this town, the following Oakham Town Council is not effected by the current economic climate.

Yes she is correct, we demand a precept and Rutland County Council transfer the money and then collect this tax from the residents. Most members of this council seem to me to be quite well off, so they can afford this tax, but there are many families in Oakham who can't and object to this money being spent, on things we as a council might think would be nice for the town.

I suggest we look at our budget again and only collect money from the public that is  essential.

I noted we underspent by around £20,000 last year, this should be returned to the public. We should stop this attitude of we are doing good, because we are not.

We are a public service provider, we provide little service because that is all that is required of us.

I hope to see a large cut in next years precept, although it may not happen, because we may see fit to buy a few new benches because they look nice.

Moving to current expenses, can I ask has our Mayor lost her marbles? I went to collect the agenda appendices from the Clerk, He told me I could not collect it, because the Mayor had ordered him to post out all agendas. Reason members don't like me seeing it first. Sorry you say I am mad? I asked the clerk to photocopy just the agenda from the public notice board. So now I do have that part. of course photocoping costs money, I then watched as he put postage £1.10 on the large envelope addressed to me. He also did the same for the Mayor,  who visits the office each day. What a waste of public money and this really shows how childish and petty minded this council is.

I do hope the documents arrive via the post in time for me to read them before the meeting or would members prefer I saved them and read them at the meeting before each agenda item?

Do you really think the tax payer should accept your stupidity.

Cllr. Martin Brookes
Oakham Town Council

13 Willow Crescent
Oakham
Rutland
LE15 6EQ


To the readers,

I have a passion to be a Town Councillor to serve the public to the best of my ability. The current members seem determined as before to scupper this. Their friends insult me with homophobic comments say I am mad accuse me of selling myself to Oakham School teachers and worse.  If they want a fight they have got one.

I am mature  enough to forgive and forget, they are not. I nominated Cllr Lucas who in the past called me a Paedophile, for Mayor, I nominated Cllr Haworth for Deputy Mayor, a man who told me he would do all he could to see I did not return to the chamber because I was insane. I guess, I must me mad supporting these two considering how things are unfolding. I now personally think all the current members need to go and a full new council set up with members who have no connection to any current or past councillors or the council should be dissolved. The current members could grow up and stop their childish petty games.

Some of the older residents might be upset for my call to dissolve this council because of tradition, I say yes tradition is good, but look at the cost. Two members of the public gave the definition of OTC this week Oakham Town Cesspit, shocking! and know they don't blame me. Those who attack me need to take a step out of their little circle and look at the wider picture, there are people put there who watch and listen and  are not impressed.

I repeat here Cllr Alf Dewis is a Bully and the other who know who they are. When a person is bullied two things can happen either you shrink away or you grow stronger. I know which option I have taken.

Oakham Town Council Co-options

Before next weeks Oakham Town Council will be holding a informal private meeting with Mr John Nowell
from Beech Road, Oakham, Rutland.

Mr Nowell has expressed an interest in being co-opted onto the Council. It appears he won't be subjected to a repeat of the recent charade of interview recent candidates have been subjected to.

Oakham Town Council Co-option Charade

This week Oakham Town Council Co-opted three new Councillors.

The Chairman Councillor Joyce Lucas failed to ask candidates after their interview if they would like to be co-opted onto the Council.

The Council went ahead with the Co-options and this morning I heard on the Radio one of the Candidates had turned down his Co-option.

This has now caused the town council  a  legal issue. I am not sure how the co-option can be reversed.
There are implications now how does the council proceed from now regarding the Oakham South East seat turned down by Dr Guthrie. Will it be put up for election again?

losing Dr Guthrie is a big loss to Oakham Town Council, it was clear members saw this intelligent pleasant  gentleman a threat to their way of doing things.

Cllr Dodds said looking at your CV (I returned all applicants confidential CV's why they were asked to provide on beggars belief.)   I can see you are a very clever man or words to that effect surely you are far too clever to give your time to our little council. A rather stupid assumption! The council needs people like Dr Guthrie who has the time and ability to serve and the brains to do a better job than those who currently sit on this council. I am not highly educated but I have sufficient brain power to see the idiotic, childish, petty ways most of the current members conduct themselves often supported by outside influences like Rutland County Council and former Councillors.

They all cause a the Clerk a great deal of stress. With their campaign to get rid of Brookes.

Brookes as they call me is only interested in getting the tax payer value for money. Someting the tax payers of Oakham deserves, the public often tell me they don't have time to give to do what I do and wish they could and I am sure they would do a better job.

I recently spoke with a resident at a meeting of the police and the police auhority. She said there are about ten of us where I work who came to a Oakham town planning meeting, we saw how you were treated, what a shambles the council is, I asked why don't you stand for election. She replied we all work, we have children in a few years time when they have grown up maybe. Also she commented on the high cost of the council.

As these children are growing up people are noticing the lack of anything in Oakham. Newly co-opted Cllr Jayne Woodcock raised concerns about jobs for young people in Oakham and the lack of opportunity something that effects all age groups here in Oakham myself included.

Cllr Jayne Woodcock also questioned the Town Councils plans for the future, none was the reply. That sums up Oakham Town Council, I received a cowardly anonymous comment asking what is my plan and various other questions, one was what qualifications do I have to be a councillor the answer is none. Like all the others there are no requirements for any qualification.

As a councillor you are expected to train, not something Oakham Town Council is very keen to support.

Last year I received 20 minutes of training relating to the basics of being a councillor, no training this year so if I get it wrong don't be surprised.

I have requested training for planning and the response was yes if all the others want to do it then we will.

At planning meetings we are expected to make decisions on things that effect peoples lives with no knowledge of planning law, all applications are looked at and decided if we like the look of an application. This is not good enough.


Back to the co-option, I asked the council why I had to hear first on the radio Dr Guthrie had not accepted his co-option. Why had I not been informed I am only a councillor.

I received this reply:

All

Having only just finalised the agenda yesterday for next week's meeting I have been busy putting together the supporting information. I took a phone call from Dr Guthrie yesterday confirming that he was unable to accept being co-opted.

Unfortunately this was not passed on to you all.

My aplogies.

I will also be checking the situation with the Monitoring Officer

 

Richard White
Clerk to Oakham Town Council
01572 723627
E-mail: rwhite@oakhamtowncouncil.gov.uk

I found out how many applicants were to be interviewed from a member of the public, before I was told in a e-mail by the council and Councillor Dodds had the cheek to ask all applicants if the understood what confidential meant and would they be happy to keep matters the council requested confidential.
Asking this of a teacher and people who work in the health service is an insult.

EDI PLC comment

Good morning are you enjoying your stay in the Accor Group Hotel?

Google.it > martin brookes
www.google.it/search?client=firefox-a&rls=com.frontmotion%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=i..

Page Viewed: Martin Brookes    martinbrookes.blogspot.com

View Time: 00:03:28