Chirbury and Worthen Councillor Heather Kidd has hit out at Shropshire Council for spending an additional thousands of pounds on i-pads for Councillors in addition to the laptops already provided.
On Thursday the IT Portfolio holder, Cllr Martin Taylor Smith, announced that the Council would be supplying palm top computers to all councillors in addition to the laptops and blackberries already provided. Other measures would save £ 1 million. But he will also be spending a large amount on new hard ware when our laptops were all bought to last 4 years. He wants to scrap them after 2 years!
“What’s worse” continued Heather “Is that I doubt that quite a few councillors will use their new devices. A number I know already struggle with the digital age and I’m certain quite a few i-pads will just gather dust.”
Heather has called on the Council Administration to release the costs for this decision and direct these funds back into public services. “If the Council is to make decisions on spending Council Tax payers money on items which we can do without the least they can do is release the full budget and show use where further savings can be made.”