LETTER: Are council engineers a waste of money?
Engineers - a waste of money?
JUST wondering if anyone in council can advise why we (the ratepayers), needed to fork out $6000 for an engineering consultant to look at a culvert, when we have so many engineers on salary that sometimes two or three of them will turn up to look at a previously approved building whilst it is under construction.
Perhaps the next round of cost cutting in council could begin on the first floor, rather than the outside workforce.
After all, one engineer (or similar pay scale employee) being cut would save us more than sacking two or possibly three people from road or parks maintenance, and, to all outward appearances, would have little or no effect on the services we are receiving now.
I wouldn't mind a response as well, to the question of why, when we are paying virtually the same rates as my friend on the Gold Coast, we can't even get footpaths more than a block or two from the centre of town?
For the upcoming elections, I am waiting to base my decisions on which applicants have a vision of where the shire will be in 20 years, and what should be put in place now, to support the future.
We need to stop thinking only as far ahead as the next election cycle.
Don Hansford
