Wannabe councillor wants less councillors!

In a somewhat unique move for a local election candidate Fine Gael"s Alan Shaw has this week called for a reduction in the number of councillors. Mr Shaw said it was essential that the number of town and county councillors around the country was reduced in a bid to help the public finances and said there was no need for nine paid councillors on Athlone Town Council. 'The question must now be asked, can we afford nine town councillors? Can some savings be made by reducing the number to seven, for example? This would leave approximately €85,000 available to go towards a better cause over the five years of that town council,' said Mr Shaw. He said rather than always looking to Dublin to make cost savings, there should be a reduction in the number of councillors in Westmeath and every other county in the country. 'We can then look for savings in other institutions like Seanad Éireann and the Dáil itself. We have a staggering 883 councillors in this country. In 2007 the average total wages, allowances and expenses received by councillors was €33,347. That was €730 more than the average industrial wage in 2007. The total pay bill for councillors in 2007 was €29.4m,' he said. He added that town councillors receive significantly less than their colleagues on the county council, with annual wages, allowances and expenses under €9,000 each. 'However some representatives on the town council also hold seats on the county council. Over the lifetime of a town council (five years) the nine sitting councillors will receive between €360,000 and €400,000 cumulatively,' Mr Shaw pointed out.