Scrap Wirral's Mayor and polling stations to save money (From Wirral Globe)

Scrap Wirral's Mayor and polling stations to save money

1:10pm Tuesday 4th December 2012 in Letters

I VERY much appreciate the "What Really Matters" consultation exercise by Graham Burgess, chief executive of Wirral Council asking people of Wirral to choose between different options for reducing costs.

This sounds like "Direct Democracy" Swiss-style where for once we will get a real chance to express our views.

Instead of remote councillors elected by increasingly small percentages deciding how to spend our money, we now have a chance to participate in decision making.

Hopefully excessive council expenditure will now finally be brought under control and we can live within our means just as all responsible people do with their personal finances.

Mr Burgess states that savings will come from "non-essential" spending.  This implies that we must previously have been wasting money on things that we did not need. 

Why have our councillors allowed this waste to occur?

To the many proposals for saving our money, I would add a drastic reduction in the number of councillors and their expenses, the abolition of the post of Mayor and the complete scrapping of the ridiculous, out-dated and expensive system of polling stations at election times to be replaced by a secure on-line/postal system which will greatly increase participation in local democracy.

R Peters by email.