The opposition on South Holland District Council enjoy the luxury of demanding that the Conservative group, in control since 1999, should increase budget on various items.
The latest target for Angela Newton their leader is a very small and worn out toddlers’ play area in her ward. She claims the current budget for day to day maintenance of play areas is ‘ludicrous’ and must be increased.
She has a habit of doing this because it’s easy to do and it grabs headlines.
It’s easy because she doesn’t have to work out where the extra money will come from, but that’s not her problem.
Annual Full Council in May sets the council budget for the forthcoming year.
Every elected member attending must cast their vote and this is recorded.
If Coun Newton considered any of the budgets allocated for that year to be ‘ludicrous’, this would the time to submit an alternative budget and ask members to vote on it.
I have been a district councillor for 23 years. In all that time Coun Newton has never submitted an alternative budget.
It seems our figures are not so ludicrous after all.
Roger Gambba-Jones
South Holland district councillor
