Council Waste

“I will always speak out against unnecessary and extravagant expenditure” so said our Conservatives County Councillor and 'star' of an Olympic video. Yet what would you call the spending of some £3,200 by Teignbridge Council on an official video of the Olympic Flame arriving in Shaldon and Teignmouth – even though the council has its own professional video production department! Imagine what local sports clubs could do with £3000. The spending, ordered by the council’s Conservative leader, comes at a time when the council is making cutbacks and faces tough spending decisions next year with changes in the way funding comes from Government. Challenged about the spending when the in-year budget was reviewed earlier this month, the Council Leader told councillors he was aware of the cost when the video was ordered and that he was very happy that the video was made. It’s incredible that the council need to spend over £3,000 on this video when the council has a member of staff who produces videos and a fully equipped video production department. This could have been done for much less if the council had used its own video production service. What does it say when, for the big events, where Conservatives are interviewed they commission a video from an independent service.