City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) yesterday published a report on its recent 'budget information and engagement exercise' [www.edinburgh.gov.uk/budget], the biggest such process it has ever run.
CEC claims the findings prove consultees:
- want CEC to cut its own administrative inefficiency before services
- agree to new and increased charges
- agree to increased Council Tax if funding goes to priority services
- favour different delivery of services
- are divided on reducing domestic waste collection.
Spurtle has already aired locals’ concern about how genuinely intentioned this consultation exercise was, how valid was the information it gathered given loaded questions to which not everybody replied, and to what use (if any) such information will really be put. We have also given space to less critical opinion and appreciation (Issue 188, Breaking news 1.11.10).
Being charitable, we might conclude that it was a well-intentioned but deeply flawed operation. We have yet to see how another innovation in Edinburgh – Leith Decides, in which the public votes on how £16K of Community Grant Funding is disbursed – will pan out (Events 27.11.10).
Tomorrow, see our article here on consultation exercises elsewhere.