Public slams questions at council budget meeting

Published on Thursday 23 September 2010 08:13

MEMBERS of the public rebelled at the latest budget consultation meeting and refused to vote on "simplistic" questions about the city council's priorities.

People attending the council's public meeting remained unimpressed by the electronic voting system being used to poll them on budget issues, saying the questions posed were ambiguous and leading.

The "budget summit" at Davidson's Mains Parish Church was one of a series aimed at involving members of the public in the council's attempts to cut 90 million from its budget over the next three years.

It followed a similar meeting last week which was branded "a sham" by those attending because of the narrow "Yes" or "No" questions posed for voting.

While last night's meeting was relatively good-natured, around a third of those attending abstained from voting with the electronic handsets.

One member of the public complained: "The trouble is the questions that you've asked us are so ambiguous that it's impossible to answer them 'yes' or 'no' ".

Questions posed included: "Do you think the council should prioritise services to those in greatest need?" and "Do you think the council is right to consider directing these services to the times when and where they are most needed?"

The summit's independent chairwoman, businesswoman Maggie Mellon, acknowledged the concerns, but encouraged participants to look at the issues behind the questions. She said: "When I look at that (question] it's almost like asking 'Do you think you should love your mother?' until you look behind it - forget about the simple questions and what lies behind, it is not simple."

With around 50 people at the meeting, the number of votes cast for most questions was in the low 30s. When the voting pads failed on one question, only six people took part in a show of hands instead.

Aware of the criticism levelled at the last meeting, council leader Jenny Dawe told participants: "This meeting will have more opportunities for debate, you'll be given more context for the questions and though we have voting pads, the questions are quite simplistic, so we would encourage you to get in touch with us by e-mail or letter if you feel you've not been able to make your point sufficiently."

Further summits are planned for Southside Community Centre on September 23, Royal High Primary School on September 29, Drylaw Church on October 5 and Drummond Community High School on October 6. A city-wide summit is to be held at the Scotsman Publications on Holyrood Road on October 15.

SCRAPPING TRAMS 'NOT THE ANSWER'

SCRAPPING the trams is not the answer to the city's cash woes its head of transport has insisted.

Marshall Poulton said: "The funding stream for the tram is separate, so stopping it would probably cause a problem."

Asked whether taxpayers would foot the bill if the project exceeded its budget, he admitted: "If it goes over there are difficult decisions."