Re: Councillors expenses
 

A major question here, is just how much will the Labour Group stop all these 'unfair' (allegedly) expenses if they were to come to power?

Re: Councillors expenses
 

I would think councillors have nothing to do with deciding who supplies food and printing to the council and it is done by officers.

I can't remember the exact amount but I think it is £500 where 3 quotes are needed for a spend to comply with the council tendering rules.

They might class each lunch as a separate spend so don't need to tender for it. I would hope they did tender though as it is £4000 a year and many local firms would like a nice regular contract like that so would be competitive.

Re: Councillors expenses
 

They will be reduced by quite a lot, Simon.

A few of us have been going through the figures in detail and we spend a shocking amount on individual expenses, many of which cannot be justified as they stand. The system needs reforming to reduce spending across the board and get better value for money in areas that are a little lax.

Most reforms take around a year to kick in but cutting throwaway cheques can be done overnight.

Re: Councillors expenses
 

I wait with bated breathe Kenny old chap:D

Re: Councillors expenses
 

We need a major overall of the expenses system. The Council just can't afford the amount of expenses we pay at the present. We pay far more in Councillors expenses that many Councils of a similar size.

Re: Councillors expenses
 

Can anyone confirm that this is so?

Re: Councillors expenses
 

I would like to know as well, Councillors must be to busy to worry where the food comes from, they must be. Well I hope they are

Re: Councillors expenses
 

Well it is a full time job for some of them Neil, especially if they pack their day job in because they say its interfering with their political work:rolleyes:

Re: Councillors expenses
 

There's one Councillor on here that isn't too busy to worry about where the food comes from, maybe there should be a few more Councillors that could take time out and see if there is waste or extravagence that they can insist is curbed?
:)

Another couple of thoughts about the sandwiches? Are there always enough? Are there regularly too many and if so, what happens to the extras?

In other words, does someone from the contracted company nip around before hand taking a buttie order, or is there always a massive spread paid for automatically just in case all the scroungers, erm sorry I meant Councillors turn up at once for a free lunch?

Does our glorious leader use his medal ribbon as a bib?

;)

Re: Councillors expenses
 

There are always more than enough sandwiches to go around and I think the staff snaffle up the ones that are left. Fair enough really, they clean up the plates and make sure we have a flask of hot water ready for our brews.

Re: Councillors expenses
 

I can answer those questions.

1. The choice of supplier for a contract this size is an officer responsibility. Members would have no part to play. The relevant part of the Council's constitution says:-

5.1 This procedure applies to contracts where the estimated value of works, goods and services to be supplied is less than £10 000;

Isn't that similar to stealing Biro's?
(only kidding, better they get the leftovers than such things go to waste, after all by the time the hard working menials get to go home they'll have digested them so the butties won't leave the premises).

Re: Councillors expenses
 

I can understand if occasionally, there are surplus sandwiches.....but '..always more than enough'? Surely this suggests the council is paying more than it should for its catering services? And what the hell are the staff doing scoffing the leftovers? Should they not be at their work stations, doing the job the ratepayer pays them to do? Or are some of them surplus as well?

I think I put it a little more gently, I wouldn't want to make it seem that every day around 2 o'clock there is a bun fight between the highly paid executives & those of lower status rushing to the executive dining area, all doffing their caps & thanking the high and mighty for the crumbs from their table.

Surely the common workers will prove themselves above such charity...

Re: Councillors expenses
 

Still rather confusing.
Will quotes have been obtained, even though the annual cost is less than £10,000.?

As stated earlier, I'm sure there's nothing amiss, even though we now have a councillor with close ties to the firm contracted to do the catering.