IN a year when simplistic remedies seem to be the answer to complex problems your correspondent Mr Philip Withers appears to think that this approach can be applied to local services. On any objective measure local authorities are under-resourced, yet demand for their services is increasing, which can lead to perceived overspending. Tinkering at the edges without tackling the core issue of under resourcing will not solve anything.
Regarding the suggestion that a local authority can reduce costs by reducing the number of councillors, it is important to remember that this number is determined impartially by the Electoral Commission to ensure that in a democracy all voters are properly represented. Any local authority which varied the number of councillors unilaterally would be acting well outside its legal powers and, in the example given of a reduction to 20 for the county, this would probably lead to being unable to recruit any councillors as their workload would be intolerable.
It is also simplistic to criticise salaries and conditions of service of individual employees who clearly do not set their own salaries. Any employer in any industry determines salaries and conditions of service in order to recruit and retain staff and local authorities are no different from anyone else as they too are part of the real world.
CNA Williams
Clipsham Rise
Trowbridge