OIC wide issues
1 We must get a fair settlement from the Scottish Executive, and the COSLA funding formula. I see it as a failure of the last council and the outgoing MSP, that Orkney still get £700 per head less than Shetland, every year. A four year goal of mine is that by the end of this next OIC term (by 2011) Orkney has to be on equal terms with the other island groups or the OIC and the MSP will have failed again.
2 The OIC website is poor and must be made more user friendly immediately. It could be so valuable to the community, and an interactive, informative powerful tool in local democracy. I will make it my number 1 short term priority to get the website improved, within a year, if elected.
3 Added to 2, the website must display all reports to meetings, at least a week before the meeting takes place, so the public can read the reports and have a chance to approach the officials and their councillors on the issues before the meetings. This will help make decision making more informed and more public.
4 I want to see more and better maintained footpaths throughout Orkney. People are walking and cycling more and more now - and OIC should encourage this activity, by investing more in path development and maintenance. (I know the OIC have set priorities on Care Homes and Transport, but encouraging the population to get fit is a long term investment worth making).
Ward Issues
1 KGS may need to be refurbished or partly rebuilt, but it should not be moved to Picky.
2 Pedestrian and traffic changes are proposed for Kirkwall. I am for some change, but this must be by small steps over a period of time so we can learn as we go. It is right to have part of Albert Street closed to cars for part of the shopping day, but not all of the day, so people with blue badges, residents and delivery vehicles can access the street too. Perhaps one of the most important issues actually is about parking. The Pay and Display car parks and the long stay ones are often full and so before more changes happen, we need more parking.
3 The OIC have pondered and pondered a leisure pool. I am for a leisure pool, probably at Picky, as I think young folk and families need something fun like this to do, as the Bowling Alley has now closed down.
These are just a few issues and stances I take. I will monitor what the people I meet in the ward are saying and publish further items as time goes on. I will also monitor what the other candidates are saying and express opinions on that too.
Please keep an eye on the website for updates, and feel free to comment (however, I do moderate comments, not to stop argument, but just to keep things clean and hospitable).
Also, feel free to phone me on 875969 to discuss issues or to arrange for me to visit you to discuss topics.
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2 comments:
I think the past council lost the plot regarding the difference in funding.My views are these; You cannot compare the 3 island groups like for like , each are totally different and although the need to provide services are similar the way they are provided and delivered are different. Orkney has the best transport links to the scottish mainland and the smallest population. Shetland pays higher salaries and have more staff then orkney. The western isles are completely differnt from both orkney and shetland and has the biggest population and is economicaly the poorest and is entitled to the funding they get infact they probably need more than what they get from the SE.
As I see it the main problem is the oic have a massive chip, more like a boulder, on its shoulder when it comes to comparing itself with shetland. Shetland always seem to think big and get on with doing the right thing usually, compared with oic who can rarely see beyond a year or two and are famouse for deferring issues or deciding not to decide.The main function of the council is to provide the basic services that an individual and community are entitled to and for which the pay for thro national taxation and local council taxes.The council should get back to basics and provide these front line services and stop wasting money on grand schemes mainly funded by capital hand outs which are then left to be maintained through the annual revenue allocation from the SE which puts a greater burden on the council finaces.One of the problems in orkney is the people here expect the council to provide and do just about everything for them and the council usually has said yes until now.The only people to blame for the situation we are in today is ourselves and in particular past councils for not saying NO. The true cost of providing our services should be made public and the council tax should be increased to cover the true cost ie big increases or the services should be trimmed or provided more efficiently with no waste so that there is no need to to take the millions out of the reserves each year just to keep going.I could go on for ever and go into depth regarding certain topics but i wont here.
PS I will vote for you as one of my choices.
thank you for the comment and the vote of confidence.
It would be nice to know your name, old timer!
I agree the island groups are different but the difference in funding is too much, particularly with Shetland.
However, sorting it out will be very complicated, if possible at all, given the added elemtn of COSLA calculations. If we push for a fair settlement it would seem quite likely that the other members of COSLA would suggest the isles groups share the same amount out differently to each island ggroup. Meaning that Orkney would benefit but Shetland and W Isles would lose. That would not be good politics from our perspective, we would lose our two strongest allies.
getting too late to think coherently so will leave it for now.
feel free to comment futher.
regards
Jack
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