Mayoral office receives over 2,000 compaints.
"Sherlock has not gone the right way with her methods", says NOW party councillor, Hilda Burroughs "However, she has been correct in her ends- Steedcraft's hospitals run smoothly, for a start, and buses don't turn up 10 minutes late anymore."
However, despite a rather balanced view from her so-called rivals, the citizens are not happy; monthly council tax, last year, was raised by an average 40 Credits, and she is accused of "splashing out on the council, and axing the people". Despite this, most of the council, irrespective of their affiliation agreed with Geraint Hughes, Unity councillor, who said that 'an investment in the council facilities' might be excessive, but it is also 'an investment in the people'.
"My constituency's people write to me everyday about Steedcraft's support of its towns, villages, and hamlets. I know my colleagues do too." says one National Assembly Representative (Labour) for Steedcraft- Canterbury Town, Millard Simmons. "Let me make it clear that I don't want my constituents to attack our councillors or our services, or the civil servants; I just don't see why our mayor is taking the blame, when she can only have some control over budgeting, for which she has cut everyday spending. Councillors take less money, and in the long run the new facilities will cost much less to run than our outdated libraries, crumbling schools, and Swiss-cheese asphalt.
"Simmons and I do receive a bunch concerning our place in Steedcraft. A fair number do ask that we disband into separate authorities- Steedcraft as a district for all town except my area; many are now asking that Canterbury, the chief town of Steedcraft, becomes a unitary authority. I'm sure such concerns have been raised elsewhere, too" acknowledges the other Steedcraft- Canterbury Town representative, Paige Havers (Unity).
Leyland Luton, Primary NAR (Independent) for Steedcraft- South agrees. "I meet with the Mayor and NARs every other week; satisfaction is at a low for people, but those who use our improved leisure centres and roads are suddenly starting to prove that the bills and taxes are fair. I'm sure that the people would rather a council with coffers, which ask for a payment, rather than suffer without it."
Tasha Howes, Secondary NAR (NOW) for Steedcraft- North responded "I think that the council and the mayor invest time and money for the people- we're there for that. Spending is down, and in her defense, she enacted a 15% pay cut for all councillors until further notice. This is not frivolous spending- we will be selling off some of our swimming pools, our waste management services, and our remainder of the bus fleet for the area.
Under a Freedom of Information request which our parent company, UMC, sent we have revealed characteristics. After referencing records from 1988 to 2012, we can see figures to suggest that income is being raised, but outcome is going down slower.
FACT FILE: Steedcraft District Council
- 1988 spending was C1.59 per capita, and 2012 figures were C1.37, whilst 2003 figures were C1.62;
- The basic councillor salary was C90,000, C70,000 in 2003, before being cut by 5% from the 2012 salary to C45,000;
- Schools received a one off rejuvenation fee for renovation, totalling C1.5 billion, (C1.2billion was from central government) in 2007;
- School maintenance costs across Steedcraft since 2009 have gradually plummeted by almost C3,000,000;
- Steedcraft, by order and approval by Sherlock, invested C90 million in renovating two sports centres, and building a new one;
- The District Council now receives C3billion for gym memberships and sport centre admissions;
- A-grade students gradually went down to 7.2% from 1988 to 2010, but have since risen by 5.9% since;
- A grant from Central Government of C2 million matched the the Council investment into building social housing;
- The Council Tax rise has been drafted to stagnate on January 1st, and fall throughout 2014 and 2015, by government approval; and
- The projected balance will put Steedcraft well into the black with C15.8 million, after all interest-free loans are paid off.
However, the fact file is possibly not as sobering to the Steedcraft and Deershead chapter of The Taxpayers' Alliance, who last week raised a petition on the Steedcraft E-Petition website to curtail the rise by next pay day; the national headquarters of the Taxpayers' Alliance don't seem as frustrated as their wing, but do seem prepared to take Steedcraft District Council to Steedcraft District Court.
CanterburyLive interviewed Taxpayers' Alliance patron, Guillaume John-Baptiste who said that 'the private sector needs to invest further' into housing. On Monday, he delivered a speech at Steedcraft's Buckley Town Hall. Whilst Buckley and Smithstead's residents seem the most opposed to the Mayor of the district, he suggested that breaking Steedcraft into two will 'add teardrops to the ocean'.
He told the rabble of 3,800 that whilst the council was not about frivolity as much as prosperity, 'Sherlock was one for Conan's curious eye', and called her tax rise 'dangerous'. C50 was the average rise, so we took to the streets in Steedcraft's Meadowsgreen, where we found the reaction was watered down to the trickles, from the raging torrent of the local TA chapter.
"I don't like her [the Mayor] views on most things, but I think that if our council needs to repair and rejuvenate, a rise is priceless over a weekly shop."
Boris Keggworth, 49"Sherlock isn't very popular, but the leisure centres see more children off the street. If that's what a few bob here and there means, then I'll happily pay up."
Yvette Becker, 28"I'm a teacher at Meadowgreen West Secondary School, and our truancy rates are down; I personally have to partially credit- no pun intended- some of the payments to school rejuvenation. We have stocked school libraries, working computers, and the people in the school are more productive with natural light shining into school buildings."
Adam Barlow, 32"The council has invested money, I believe, to maintain a new cemetery in our own town. Having lived without a cemetery for 47 years, last year's opening meant that my recently- passed wife is in a nice plot within miles of home."
Oscar Gat, 84"I will not vote for Sherlock again, but that's more to do with hearing of the death threats and complaints made personally against her. She's young, and seems to be struggling. It's only kind. I support her and her advisors' financial policies."
Ethel Braithwaite, 65