I think thats money well spent.

After all, when in one’s robes one needs two full time drivers and a Jaguar to get around. Personally, I wouldn’t travel any other way. I’d feel perfectly comfortable being the most public member of any Council thats cutting costs left, right and centre knowing that my travelling arrangements are paid for by 80 residents Council Tax bills or the salary of 10 cleaners / 4 bin men / 5 receptionists / 4 life guards, etc.

The only one with any sense is Kiddy… home of the Mondeo Mayor!!!

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Put them on the bus!

Another abuse of the Freedom of Information Act by the British press.

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Appalling with Dudley MBC putting up council tax by nearly 5% because they’re in dire financial straits (again) its even more disgusting. Bet that won’t be on Dudley MBCs “all good news” website.
£90000 for the Mayor to run about in a limo, whilst they’re proposing to close the wordl famous Broadfield House museum because they can’t afford £120,000 to keep it open. I know where they can find three quarters of the amount right away…

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i agree with 5 and 7.one year a mayor in SANDWELL used their mayoral car to go shopping in with their wife and kids

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What a disgracec that these local authorities are allowed to lavish our money on such luxury what basic services are at risk because of shortage of funds? Are we shocked ….. Just the same as all those mp’s claiming for everything they spend a ligitimate expenses. Again the average working man trying to make ends meet picking up the tabs…………

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Does make one wonder why no Sandwell figures out YET, RED FACES me thinks……. what’s the matter with a bus………….
Oh how the mighty will fall when they do come out, (If they ever do) come on people of Sandwell demand them………

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Paul – are Dudley Council really ‘closing’ Broadfield House? I thought the council was looking into building a new purpose-built glass museum in the Glass Quarter proper that will enable far more of the Borough’s glass collection to be out on display than the meagre 20% that is on display at Broadfield House (which is actually a converted old folks’ home!).

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In defence of mayors’ attendants, it is doing them a disservice to dub them ‘chauffeurs’. Driving is just a small part of what they actually do.

Although their principal function is to take care of the chains of office (attendants like to joke that the Council can always elect another mayor, but the chains are literally irreplaceable!), they also dress the Mayor to ensure those chains are worn correctly, they are an invaluable source of advice to the Mayor about civic protocol (as well as intelligence about the people he or she is likely to have to greet), they plan and research each engagement meticulously to ensure practicalities such as timekeeping are taken care of, they act as master of ceremonies at important events, and they regularly give talks to schools and community groups about the history of the Borough and its civic insignia.

And when all that is done, they will often find themselves being roped in to act as barman, waiter, photographer, cloakroom attendant, parcel courier, you-name-it-they-do-it. As such it is nothing unusual for an attendant to be out with the Mayor from dawn till dusk, criss-crossing the Borough from one end to the other in up to four or five engagements in one day.

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Change the record says

Incidentally Pete, fancy taking your wife out on the bus when you’re both wearing £300,000 of irreplaceable gold and jewellery around your necks?

My answer is I do not use public transport EXACTLY because it is unsafe, unreliable and totally indequate.

Then again it is not MY job to get this sorted is it? I wonder whose it is?

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Besty…

Some mayors in smaller local authorities (where the mayoral workload is consequently far lighter) do use taxies to ferry their mayors to engagements. However, the taxi drivers often end up following the limousines of the bigger authorities because at least their chauffeurs know where they’re going and what they’re supposed to be doing (no offence to local taxi drivers, but greeting visiting royalty demands rather different qualities to shuttling clubbers about on a Saturday night).

Furthermore, I remember once being taken to present prizes at a primary school whilst the Mayoral limo was in for repairs and none of the local hire companies had any equivalent-sized cars available. Had you been there to observe the look of disappointment on the children’s faces when I stepped out of a Vauxhall Astra hatchback it would have answered the other part of your question.

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So that is why they need to stop us using the free car parks on a Saturday, to raise an extra £100,000

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DO WE REALLY NEED THESE PARASITES. I MEAN WHAT FUNCTION DO THEY REALY UNDERTAKE OTHER THAN SPONGING FROM THE PUBLIC PURSE

GET RID OF THEM NOW AND SPEND THE MONEY ON SOMETHING USEFUL

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I can assure you that the vast majority of the engagements that mayors attend are at the specific invitation of community organisations like scouts, guides, amateur dramatic societies, disability support groups, fund-raising charities, and so on, who recognise the historic importance of the office of mayor and who want the mayor and mayoress to be present to add lustre to the proceedings or to confer the approbation of the Borough upon all the amazing things they have achieved.

It might sound nice being taken from place to place in a big Jaguar, but being mayor and doing the job properly can be very hard work – more so for the poor old mayoress, who is invariably not accustomed to the public spotlight and so can often find it even harder to keep on smiling or making small talk when she’s already on your third engagement that day and has also been in work that morning too (let’s not forget that many mayors and mayoresses also have day jobs around which their duties have to be fitted). Besides, when you’re attending up to four hundred engagements in a year I can assure you quickly tire of ‘scoffing vol-au-vents’.

However, I personally received the greatest thrill from the encouragement ordinary people took from knowing that the Borough – as symbolised by my big badge of office – had recognised their endeavours. That is the real reason I enjoyed so much being mayor – the cars, the occasional dinners and the other trappings of office being of no import when set against the sheer joy your presence brings to the lives of others.

So if any of you have a spare five nights, three afternoons and two morning free each week I’m sure your mayors would make you most welcome to join them in opening summer fetes, visiting residents in care homes, presenting school prizes and welcoming important visitors to the town. Then I am confident you would go away appreciating that the office of mayor is worth every penny that is spent on it.

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Boster… Let’s melt down all Dudley’s various mayoral chains and sell them for the half a million pounds or more they must be worth. Then you can have free parking for the rest of the week too… well, for a year at least.
However, an important piece of your town’s heritage and history will meanwhile have gone forever.

Incidentally, the ‘free’ car park you refer to actually belongs to the Council House for use during the week by the staff who work there, as well as for visitors to the building. It has only ever been opened up to the public on Saturdays as a goodwill gesture – kind of like you letting me park my car on your drive while you’re at work.

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Past Mayor. You really need to get into the real world. The councils keep spending our well earned money and then keep telling us to pay an extra 5% ish each year. I get a 0% pay rise each year and last year because of a council error it cost me £200 which they refused to repay. Just tell me where the money is supposed to come from and when we will get what we want, not what is dictated to us? Free country, democracy, the joke is at our expense.

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