The new government has been encouraging local councils to publish all expenditure over £500 so that it can be scrutinised by the public. This was first done by a number of Conservative councils and is rightly thought to be a jolly good idea.
I therefore submitted a simple motion to the council requiring such financial disclosure from Epsom & Ewell Borough Council. It's supremely cheering to learn from the report written by officers in response to my motion that the good sense of this move is conceded and this material will be made available to the public in an accessible format at some point in October.
That being the case how about publishing the number and job descriptions of council employees earning above £50,000 in an easily accessible place? Why not include councillors' allowances which are not easily found on the Borough's web site? Openness and transparency are good things. It's time that the council welcomed them with open arms.
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