Paying £150 for Ball is an insult to ratepayers

In a week when Lisburn City Centre suffered yet another shop closure, our city leaders should have focused on economic regeneration and how to get our city off its knees, but the council was instead organising a night out at the ratepayers’ expense.

When one considers that Lisburn residents are struggling to make ends meet, and have just been hit with a well above inflation rates increase of 3.99%, it is particularly insensitive for Alderman Leathem and Alderman Dillon to make such a suggestion.

The one representative who comes out of this embarrassing episode with any credit is Councillor Crawford, who proposed that anyone going to the event should pay the cost themselves.

The ratepayer will shell out £516,370 in members’ allowances for 2012/13, while the mayor and deputy mayor’s allowances amount to £74,580. So members should easily be able to find £3,000 between them to support the Taverners’ charity, rather than turn the event into a Council junket.

I have no objection to our City Council supporting charities, but, at such a difficult time, it is not sensitive to do so by funding councillors to have lavish dinners paid for out of ratepayers’ hard-earned money. They should pay the cost themselves,

Neil McNickle

Lagan Valley Conservative Association