When I was asked at a meeting to support a 7.5% increase in the precept or tax for the Fire Authority I said I needed to see the financial case and to see their budget. They did not have this available at the meeting but promised to send it to me.
They did not do so, so I reminded a senior person from the Authority a week ago on Friday. He confirmed the original exchanges and promised they would send me the details. They have still not done so.
They wanted the Berkshire MPs to support their case for a much higher than permitted precept increase to government. I am unable to support a case they have not made to me, with no budget information about what they currently spend and what they need to spend extra money on.
January 26, 2020
Too many in “public services” seem to have a sense of entitlement whether the expense (to the taxpayer of course) is justified or not. In many cases I believe the application of better efficiency would have benefits both to the service provider and the users / funders of the service.
January 26, 2020
Very surprising they had no costs to show you.
I am not a fan of Management culture, as opposed to management, but very worrying. What did they want the money for. If more firefighters, engines, equipment and repairs to stations then should be easy to document and produce a case I would have thought.
January 27, 2020
How much of the increase is to service the loans to develop Wokingham centre facilities.
January 29, 2020
Just over three years ago, I had cause to call 999 for an ambulance due to heart problems. I was very surprised when a fire engine pulled up out side my home and two firemen came in to treat me.
I was advised that the fire service were now responding to medical emergencies. I thought how very American.
I wonder how much of the the wished for money is for this extension of their duties.
There are so many new homes going up around here and I suppose there must be a safe ratio of fire tenders to homes.
I went to Reading for the first time in years recently and was struck by the number of foreign languages I heard spoken. I read a piece from the BBC entitled how is immigration affecting your area and saw that thirty and a half percent of Reading’s population were born outside of the UK. All these new people must stretch existing resources.
I still feel we need to look at how money is being spent and what we actually want all public services to do for us before we throw more and more money at them.
January 30, 2020
How silly not to have even some basic figures at hand when asking for your support.
They are now probably thinking you have refused, when with some sensible information you could have been a supporter.
Afraid like far too many organisations they perhaps think if they just ask for more, they will automatically get it.