Troubled Council 'In Danger Of Collapse'
By Jo Deeks on Thursday, 29th April 2004.
A Councillor has suggested that all the members of Haverhill's troubled town council should resign and the voters be asked to decide who they want to run it.
Councillor Mick Graham says he is concerned that several meetings have been cancelled recently and claims the council is in danger of collapse.
Complaints against Haverhill Town Mayor jackie Rudd and Labour Councillor Gerry Kiernan are already being investigated by the Standard Board of England, which could take up to six months.
This week another complaint by Councillor Graham against Councillor Nick Whelan has also been referred for investigation.
Councillor Graham is leader of the Haverhill Representative Alliance group, which swept to power in last May's election, disbanded and reformed, and has been at logger-heads with Labour councillors ever since.
He said: "The town council is not achieving anything, the Labour group won't work with us. I have raised genuine complaints about the way things have been handled. I don't think you can go on like this. I think we should all resign and go back for re-election. I think we should go back to the ballot and ask for people's votes again, let the people decide."
Councillor Kiernan said an election would be very costly, but agreed that something needed to be done to get the council back on course and working together for the town. He hoped councillors could put their differences behind them and start afresh.
"I have never known anything like it in 20 years of involvement with local government. The council is unable to do its job, people are wary about contacting it about anything, yet the Council Tax has gone up 20%. We have tried to work with who we can, but unless people do pull together and put the town first, we cannot achieve anything."
Councillor Mick Graham says he is concerned that several meetings have been cancelled recently and claims the council is in danger of collapse.
Complaints against Haverhill Town Mayor jackie Rudd and Labour Councillor Gerry Kiernan are already being investigated by the Standard Board of England, which could take up to six months.
This week another complaint by Councillor Graham against Councillor Nick Whelan has also been referred for investigation.
Councillor Graham is leader of the Haverhill Representative Alliance group, which swept to power in last May's election, disbanded and reformed, and has been at logger-heads with Labour councillors ever since.
He said: "The town council is not achieving anything, the Labour group won't work with us. I have raised genuine complaints about the way things have been handled. I don't think you can go on like this. I think we should all resign and go back for re-election. I think we should go back to the ballot and ask for people's votes again, let the people decide."
Councillor Kiernan said an election would be very costly, but agreed that something needed to be done to get the council back on course and working together for the town. He hoped councillors could put their differences behind them and start afresh.
"I have never known anything like it in 20 years of involvement with local government. The council is unable to do its job, people are wary about contacting it about anything, yet the Council Tax has gone up 20%. We have tried to work with who we can, but unless people do pull together and put the town first, we cannot achieve anything."
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