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THE WORKING relationship between local councillors and community councils following May's local government election is still unclear, according to Ferryden community councillors.
Both Ferryden and Hillside community councils have voiced their concern over how the new system will work as well as the need for definite points of contact for points of concern.
Currently elected members attend the meetings of community councils within their wards but under the new system the four existing wards will disappear, with four councillors elected for Montrose and district as a whole.
Angus Council has said that it will be up to the four councillors to decide for themselves which meetings they will attend, and they are free to attend any or all of the local community councils.
Ferryden chairman Graeme Newton said an agreed, co-ordinated way of working had to be established to avoid a "free-for-all" between all four councillors pursuing the same issue.
It had also been suggested that individual community councils be involved in choosing one local member as their contact.
Mr Salmond said: "It will end up as a free-for-all and I'm not sure how it's going to work. My understanding is that the four members can attend any, all or none of the meetings but we will probably find that through time people will drop away, anyway.
"I also think there will be changes to how the community council areas are set up."
Mr Salmond also said he disagrees with the new system as he feels it would result in a loss of a personal link between councillors and their constituents.
Member George Skinner agreed that community councils should have a say in choosing with which councillor they work although he said the issue was "a mountain out of a molehill".
He said: "I think people will still be drawn to areas they're historically connected with. Continuity helps considerably."
Member Ingram Bruce said she felt it would be "foolish" for the community council to deny itself the ability to contact and work with more than one member and that the situation would settle down after the first month or two after the election.
Mr Newton suggested that all four of the area's councillors be invited to attend the community council's next meeting on May 8.
12 April 2007
Courtesy of The Montrose Review
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