VIC DALBERT

The recent announcement that there is to be a referendum to have an elected Mayor of Bury is nothing but bad news for Bury and Bury Council Tax payers

This is all thanks to the narrow minded one sided views of a small group of campaigners who are prepared to interfere with our democracy in order to get there own way on congestion charging.

I and my fellow Lib Dem councillors on Bury Council have opposed the proposed congestion charging scheme because we feel it is wrong for Bury people. Its an extra tax to pay for transport we are already paying taxes for! In addition the charging proposals would divide communities and penalise some and benefit others.

As a result Bury Lib Dems have been instrumental in forcing Bury Council to oppose the current schemes charging proposals - not the transport investment proposals - the charging aspects. That is now Council policy.

That however isn’t good enough for those that have raised the petition for an elected Mayor. They see an elected mayor being installed to oppose the congestion scheme.  They want to impose an extra tier of local government in Bury - an elected mayor as well as 51 councillors. An elected Mayor being on a salary perhaps as much as £100,000 plus additional costs of his office and administrative support.

And what for ? To oppose a charge that is already council policy to oppose. To oppose this unpopular charge they plan to sweep away the current system of Government in Bury and replace it with one individual who will decide what currently 51 councillors representing all corners and all communities in Bury do week in week out.

It’s bad , it’s a waste of money and it should be stopped.