Trowbridge town councillors reject four-year cap on borrowing repayments
TROWBRIDGE town councillors have decided to reject a proposal to enforce them to repay any money borrowed on projects within a four-year term of office.
The idea came up at the authority's annual general meeting when Cllr Edward Kirk said it was wrong for councillors to saddle future councillors with debt.
In a motion to the authority, Cllr Kirk claimed that the Trowbridge town authority already had debts of over nine million pounds to the Government's Public Works Loan Board saying he was 'very concerned about the level of debt Trowbridge Town Council has accumulated'.
He added in his motion: "I believe it should not be permitted for councillors (many of whom are over seventy years of age) serving only a four-year term, to lock Trowbridge residents into a substantial debt for up to fifty years in the future."
And he said in the meeting: "Principally, I think it is wrong that councillors should be able to borrow outside their term of office.
"I do think that we should be responsible for our borrowing and our actions within our term."
But the proposal was disputed strongly by council leader Cllr Stewart Palmen who called it 'nonsense'.
He said: "This would negate us from doing anything major for the town as soon as you have a four year time span.
"You look at any kind of project of any worth, then limiting it, you have to think of it, come out with it, get it proposed, get it through and get it all paid for within four years.
"Maybe we could build a shelter in the park but that is about it. I can't think of any substantive project we could do so I think it is nonsense."
A vote on the motion to enforce it in a four-year term of office was heavily rejected.