COUNCILLOR Bright, many thanks for the personal letter sent to my home from yourself explaining why you cannot stop the allowances councillors get paid.
I have two points to raise, however. 1) If you must be paid and are not allowed to refuse, I suggest as the councillor for whatever area you represent, Pill, for instance, you donate your allowances. In this case that would mean around £45,000 going back into the area for good causes such as the community centre.
In Lliswerry this would mean around £60,000, and for my area, Ringland, even more, making a big difference to the area a councillor represents. 2) You say you have tough times ahead with budgets and lack of money.
Please do not send me a council-headed letter with a franking stamp which costs tax payers’ money next time, send me an email, you have my address. If everyone agreed to point one then we would have a massive £850,000 or so before taxation going back into the local communities, not a bad return from our councillors.
Raymond Lord Dunstable Road Newport
