Leader
| NORTH YORKSHIRE |  | | | CLEVELAND | | | | COUNTY DURHAM | | |
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New breed required
HERE we go: the
countdown has
begun for the biggest
election for a single
local authority ever held in the
North-East.
With the Notice of
Poll published yesterday, the
process of electing 126 councillors
to the new unitary
Durham County Council has
begun. It makes North Yorkshire
County Council with its
72 members look almost small
in comparison.
On May 1, the county's residents
will elect those responsible
for a body with the economic
size of a small state. Its
22,000 staff will make it the
second biggest employer in
the region, second only to the
NHS.
At one level, it is a frightening
prospect. An organisation
that big has enormous capacity
to make a terrible mess of
things. On the other hand, an
authority with so much power
has tremendous capacity to
make a positive difference to
the people it serves.
So much depends on these
126 councillors. We need
bright, articulate, enterprising
and innovative people to
come forward to serve the
county. They will have to have
those qualities to make a halfdecent
job of representing the
large constituencies they represent
and providing the executive
direction for the council.
Frankly, we doubt the capacity
of many of those on the existing
county council to do that.
We don't begrudge the new
councillors any of the allowances
and equipment it is
suggested they receive to do
their job. It is a massive task
they are being asked to discharge.
They should not be
denied the tools to do the job
effectively.
But we must have the most
able people elected. We would
urge those readers who live in
the county to disregard their
traditional voting allegiances
and examine closely the people
who put themselves forward.
Do they have some or all
of the qualities listed above?
Have they any experience of
managing, not necessarily a
business, but some form of
enterprise? Do they have
some qualification to serve
their community other than a
party membership card?
11:58am Friday 28th March 2008
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