No ifs and butties about our tax being wasted

11:31am Friday 27th April 2007

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THIS may shock you, but I don't actually have anything against councillors eating sandwiches before their meetings.

The front page of the Bucks Free Press, which I also edit, caused a stir on Friday by revealing Wycombe District Council's snack budget for members had been overspent by around £800 in 2005/2006.

I heard cries that we were being unfair because the poor councillors often came straight to meetings from full-time jobs without having eaten.

Now if I were nasty, I would add: "Altogether now - ahhhhhhhh."

But I'm a charitable sort of chap, so I'll avoid this jibe and try to put the whole thing into some kind of context.

The BFP story may have centred on a fairly trivial matter as far as local government is concerned, but there is an important principle at stake here.

Councillors not only bust through their budget for that year, but also admitted that a lot of the sarnies went to waste. In other words, our council tax went in the bin as well - although I have no doubt it was a green bin and that the food was properly recycled.

There's also a lot of other mitigation which I shall outline: l The wasted butties would have been relatively cheap - less than £2 is spent per head at each meeting; l WDC spends less on snacks than other smaller neighbouring authorities and far less than Bucks County Council; l By giving members sandwiches, the council can avoid paying them a costly meal allowance, thereby actually saving taxpayers cash; l WDC's portion of the council tax in Bucks is very small and its increases keep within inflation; l By highlighting the overspend, the council has shown it is keen to cut down on waste, and indeed there was a vast improvement in the latest financial year; l It is fair, civilised and healthy in my view to give our representatives a snack before they go into action for us.

So, I hear you cry, what's the problem? Why is the naughty press making such a fuss?

But, after spending much of this column being fair to councillors, I must now call them to order.

My frustration is not so much about WDC, but is a reflection of the confusing three-tier council system in Bucks. All we see, year on year, are cuts in services while our taxes rise.

It's probably not the fault of the councils, but is down to central government cutting grants. This is a fact that we've known for years, but our councillors simply refuse to overhaul the system and give us a single tier authority.

There are too many councils, too many members, too many meetings and, as a result, too many sandwiches.

The county council has been busy closing libraries and turning off street lights to save money because things have become so desperate. We, the public, suffer as every cost and every service is scrutinised.

But somehow, the conditions for our lords and masters stay the same. Public sector pensions are protected while a raft of local authority leaders across a multitude of councils pick up giant wage packets.

I don't actually resent paying the best staff top whack, or even paying for them to have a bite to eat when they are working late.

What I do resent is the fact that this giant three-tier council machine seems to keep on rumbling regardless, devouring costs and sandwiches, whatever the conditions in the outside world may be.

So no, I don't mind subsidising their tea if it's reasonable.

I don't mind them having cheese and pickle as long as its within budget and they don't then affront us by not even bothering to eat what we've bought them.

And, even if it sounds petty, it's my job to remind them every time they get it wrong because it's our money and our council. There are no ifs and butties about that.