Rochdale Online view: time for the Council to get its priorities right

Time for the Council to get its priorities right

The Council has a need, and indeed a duty, to communicate with local residents and businesses and it is vital that it does so. However, that should not be an excuse to use taxpayers money to employ a small army of 'spin doctors'.

On Thursday we published an article about another local voluntary organisation facing closure due to a proposal by the Council to withdraw funding.

• http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/106600/rochdale-and-district-play-action-council-could-face-closure

Over the past weeks we have published articles about the Council proposing to stop funding school crossing patrols.

• http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/105700/school-crossing-patrols-hit-out-at-council-proposals

These are just a couple of examples of much needed services being cut as the Council fights to manage its finances in the face of cuts in central government funding.

It is an unenviable task having to decide what stays and what goes but services should take priority over spin doctors.

Rochdale Online revealed recently that the cost of the Council's communications/web teams over the past three financial years totals a staggering £1,132,160.31.

• http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/106276/council-spin-doctors-have-cost-well-over-a-millon-pound-in-past-three-years

Consider this:

Just one less spin doctor would save the funding having to be cut from the voluntary group facing closure.

Five less (that would still leave five) would enable the Council to continue to pay for a good number of vital school crossing patrols.

Priorities?