We’re going to make it easier for you to see what we do

May 28 2008

By Marcus Jones

LAST week we held the first cabinet meeting of the new council year. Coincidentally it was also the first meeting of the new cabinet after the change in control of the council on May 1. We have decided to change the time of the cabinet meetings from 4pm to 6pm, not only to give all council members, including those who work full time, the chance to attend but to also give as many residents the chance to come along and see how some of the council’s biggest decisions are made. We are also currently considering the possibilities of conducting some of these meetings away from the Town Hall at other venues such as Bedworth Civic Hall to encourage more residents from around the borough to attend. At cabinet meetings there is the opportunity for residents to speak on any agenda item to give their views prior to decisions being made. We are certainly looking at ways of trying to get residents more involved in the council’s decision-making process. Back to the cabinet meeting itself - it is quite a change from being one of the onlookers at cabinet to actually chairing the cabinet, although I am pleased to report that the meeting went fairly well. I am also pleased to report that in our first meeting the new cabinet made financial savings for the council of more than £23,500 without reducing services in any way whatsoever. I doubt that saving money will always be this simple but it was certainly a good start. As a cabinet we are acutely aware of the current financial climate. Wages are not rising as businesses are finding it tough, and prices are increasing on a daily basis. We all know this from our visits to the petrol station or supermarket. Our cabinet is therefore committed to trying to balance providing the best council services possible but always with one eye on the council’s purse strings. Why should the council be any different from any private business or household?