There is too much ignorance of a Conwy councillor's role

Dec 3 2009

AS a councillor I do get fed up with ill-informed comments made by some of your readers.

I, like the vast majority of the councillors, pay council and income tax, which your writer seems to ignore.

The increase in rates possibly of 5% is purely down to the puerile settlement made to Conwy yet again by the Labour Plaid Cymru government in Cardiff.

We are obliged to maintain services in an ever-increasing social services and education budget, there is an ever-increasing inward migration of older people into the area resulting in an ever-increasing cost.

Councillors don’t vote themselves big increases in pay – they are set by an independent body. It is up to the councillors if they wish to take the increase or not.

The volume of work levels taken on by the modern councillor is entirely different to that of a councillor fifty or sixty years ago.

Come and spend a week with me Mrs Richardson. Have you even attended a council meeting to appreciate what goes on in the council? I certainly didn’t until I became a councillor.

Merfyn Thomas

Conservative Councillor for Llandrillo yn Rhos Ward