Godalming Town Council - £3500.00 on badges is a bad idea.

The details

On 11 December 2014 the Mayoralty Committee considered the following motion from Councillor T Martin:

“To acknowledge past Mayoresses and Consorts in the same way as past Mayors (i.e. with engraved badges). This acknowledges the phenomenal hard work, often unseen, that Mayoresses and Consorts make to the office of Mayor which should be rewarded.”

The Mayoralty recommended to Full Council that engraved badges should be awarded to former Mayoresses and Consorts but agreed that the detail of this recommendation should be framed by the Town Clerk, in consultation with the Chairman of the Mayoralty Committee, once design and costs had been explored.

It is recommended that sufficient Past Mayoress and Consort badges for all such individuals still living be ordered from the current supplier of the Past Mayor badges (that supplier having given the lower of two quotes obtained by the Town Clerk) at a cost of £3,500 (including the cost of engraving each badge); and that the cost be met from the New Initiatives Fund.  - More info available at :

http://www.godalming-tc.gov.uk/docs/agenda427-26032015.htm
The Objection

We the undersigned request a £50.00 - £100.00 plaque recognising past Mayors wives and consorts to be placed in Godalming, and the scrapping of the purchase of badges for the proposed £3500.00

We request that the remaining $3450.00 is spent funding worthy causes in the community. *


* For example, 100 food parcels for OAP's in the community that are just surviving on their pension, support for ex-serviceman in Godalming, support of the firefighters, ambulance or police charities that also work hard in public service with little recognition, 10 new park benches for the community, entertainment for OAP's living in care homes or assisted living or any other worthy project benefiting the community. 

Further

We the undersigned request that Godalming Town Council make public the expenditure details on the Godalming Town Council website, and would request a breakdown on expendature of the New Initiatives Fund over the past 12 months.

Notes: Is £3500 of tax payers money really worth it for a bit of metal that will be sat in a drawer somewhere? Is it not better to have a plaque and release the money into projects that benefit the community and not a handful of its public servants?

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