Get out of '˜ivory tower' and meet the public

I admire the council for wishing to consult the people who live in the district to give them a say in the future, but is doing it via an online survey the best way to gather data?

I am sure many folk read the Chad and some might even read the council website, but what percentage of the electorate are aware of the survey, let alone participating?

It is likely that any results of such a survey would be small.

Might I suggest that the mayor and the executive, who are the decision makers, leave their ivory tower on Chesterfield Road and get out and actually meet the electorate and not just in their surgeries but go into public and be prepared to listen and actually hear what people think of how things are going.

I do recall a while back seeing a sign to ‘meet the mayor’ at the Hive in the Four Seasons. I passed it at 9.30am and whilst there were council people preparing the room, the mayor was not there. I resolved that after I had been to my appointment I would like to meet my mayor.

I returned at 10.30am (ish) and the Hive was closed and all signs removed. Too many of our representatives are only ever seen by the electorate when they want our vote in my view. They work for us and I think times are changing and our politicians can no longer sit in isolation and make decisions.

Seth Clay

By email

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