Running costs

9 Jan 09
Jessica Crowe’s interesting article got tantalisingly close to the reason why councils are in a pickle over accountability

Jessica Crowe’s interesting article got tantalisingly close to the reason why councils are in a pickle over accountability (‘Accounts and accountability’, December 19 2008—January 8 2009).

The problem is that councillors have been driven down the road that leads to the notion that they are elected to ‘run’ the council.

The idea of a disparate group of amateurs running anything is ludicrous, especially while they pay a team of well-rewarded professionals. No wonder there is conflict with chief executives in particular and with other professional managers.

This has led over many years, with dulling inevitability, to Cabinets, special responsibility allowances and councillors battling with too much information while feeling unable to let go because of the illusion of power it brings.

Crowe rightly said that councillors are not elected because of their knowledge of professional services, they are there to ask tough questions on behalf of the community.

Yet the minute they ‘run’ or take responsibility for provision of services, they have a monumental conflict of interest. They have to spin around and ask themselves the tough questions. It cannot be done effectively and isn’t done in local or central government.

They end up defending their own actions — often imposed on reluctant professionals that have been emasculated.

The Centre for Public Scrutiny correctly diagnosed the problem but then fed it with guides and even more information. It sends the wrong message. Councillors should rejoice in their ignorance of Treasury rules and Children Act regulations. But they should be fearless in representing the community and in demanding complete professionalism from the officers.

They should focus on providing the commonsense policing of the delicate borderline between over-zealous officiousness of professionals and effective, rapid intervention. Why pay chief executives well if they are not the right people to ‘run’ the council?

Crispin Derby, Haslemere, Surrey

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