DCC Councillors ( 62 of them ) each allowed £25,000 a year to spend on their pet projects, to be fair I do not know wherther all or any of them take up the allowance.
Why not cancell that allowance and put the total amount into the pot £1,550.000 for the benefit of Devon residents.
I think that amount is a sum that each councillor can spend in her/his ward on behalf of those living in that ward.
So, it is spent for the benefit of Devon residents - an equal amount for all the wards, although what spent on will differ from ward to ward and, I believe, is decided by the councillor concerned.
I think the Teignbridge District Councillors also have a similar system.
It seems from the front page of this week's Dawlish Post that Cllr Clatworthy has spent some of his allowance to help Dawlish scouts buy camping equipment.
Helping the Scouts is very commendable, but over million pounds is an awful lot of money that could also be used to help the current cut backs
So, are you saying that it shouldn't be spent at all? or that it should be spent in some other way? I ask as in your original posting you state that you think it should be spent for the benefit of Devon residents. Which it is. Equally divided up so that each ward gets the same amount.
This is a great way of doing it. It allows you to ask a candidate what they will spend money on in the constituency before they are elected.If you dont like it , you dont vote for them. Also you can look at the issues your councillor has supported and if you dont like it , vote them out.
I'd rather some scouts got a small amount of money to keep them off the streets and go camping rather than Devon LGT got a few £100,000 to promote Gay Rights.
Seems it's £15,000 per year not £25,000.
http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/councildemocracy/county_councillors/locality-budgets.htm
It was £25k a couple of years ago - they had extra from the sale of Exeter Airport.
I think it's great that Cllrs can target local groups/projects that need help without the groups having to jump through hoops to get the money.
District Cllrs have an allowance too - I think £1500 (from memory).
Please 