In Pursuit of the Common Good (fund)

Sandy; All we are saying is give us a veto!

Further to our report on the wee stushie between Graham Vine and Sandy Park we notice that the Nairnshire Telegraph also features the incident. Sandy’s reply to one of Graham’s questions is quoted in this week’s issue:

“Could the Highland Councillors spend Nairn Common Good money. The answer would be technically, yes but yes most likely, again, no.”

Sandy you are the top man, the gaffer, the Convener, the Boss, our favourite avuncular municipal chielmeister and we take your word for it, even though you admit it could happen but ‘most likely no’ (99.9%).We are moving into new uncharted territory however, and the forthcoming cuts are about to impose a financial apocalypse on jobs and services in the Highlands. Should the fund ever get topped up in the future by a few million from Deveron or any other developer or even from community projects (see the NICE press release in the previous post for ideas here) then the Highland Council might be tempted to grab some of it. Perhaps not overtly but by perhaps cutting something else and letting us pay for it out of the Common Good purse.

Take one possible scenario, some areas are to keep their grass cutting squad under the control of the local authority but we are to lose ours to private contractors. That is monstrously unfair but that’s another debate. What if it became obvious that we needed a higher specification than existed in a contract to keep our Tourist Town up to a decent appearance? If more work were needed then the Highland Council with no cash might say, 'You want it, take it out of the Common Good.!'Another example perhaps: ‘Want to keep your service point? Well dip into the Common Good!”

We could pay for services through our council taxes and pay for them again through the Common Good Fund. Can we trust the apparatus in Inverness to play fair in the future?

You might be there to look out for us just now Sandy but in the febrile world of Glenurquhart Road politics you could be gone tomorrow if the administration were to fall. Graham’s forthcoming resignation is just one example of potential fault lines in the body politic that is your ruling group. Nairn Councillors need a veto on anyone else spending our money – it needs to be enshrined in the rule book – please ensure that happens. It's 99.9% safe you say Sandy - take the simple step of making it 100% If it should never happen why leave that chance in there?

Those in Nairn who have been seriously researching local Common Good issues might be interested to know that there is a Scottish Campaign Group on Google that are campaigning to draw the Scottish Government’s attention to some local authorities Cavalier attitude to Common Good funds and their assets.Thanks to Bill Fraser in Glasgow for informing the Gurn of its existence. You can access it here but you will need to have a Google account. The Group was created by campaigner and author Andy Wightman who recently spoke in Forres.