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Ex-town mayor condemns decision to block tribute to councillor
A FORMER town mayor this week condemned the decision to stop a councillor paying tribute to her former colleague.
Barbara Austin said current town mayor Jan Nicholson could - and should - have used her discretion.
"Don't forget that the mayor is the boss," she said.
"You can bend the rules a little bit. It's just a matter of courtesy." Last week the Guardian revealed Councillor Marion Ikin had wanted to pay tribute to Joan Fairhurst, who recently resigned, at a town council meeting.
Town mayor Jan Nicholson told her the agenda item was to note the minutes of a previous meeting, not discuss them. She said the resignations had been noted as an agenda item at that previous meeting.
Four years ago, when Miss Austin was mayor, Councillor Bert Grange resigned from the town council.
He stepped down after saying the then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott should be sent to the gas chamber for approving ScottishPower's plans to build a gas plant near Byley. Miss Austin allowed colleagues to pay tribute to Councillor Grange, despite the issue not being on the agenda.
"It wasn't just a few words either," she said.
At last month's town council meeting Councillor Ikin accused the authority of airbrushing out Mrs Fairhurst's resignation. On Monday Miss Austin said she was right to protest.
"For the sake of the time it took it wasn't going to make that much difference and it wasn't controversial," she said.
Last month Joan Fairhurst and Kate Panayi resigned from the town council amid rumours they were unhappy with council decisions.
12:01pm Wednesday 7th May 2008
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