Geraldton MLA Ian Blayney has labelled WALGA president Mayor Troy Pickard as out of touch with community expectations following comments this week suggesting Councils are being blamed for inefficiencies and delays that are in fact caused by external requirements placed on them beyond their control. Mr Blayney said the comments in a WALGA release ‘Councils call to reduce red tape burden’ and published in part in this week’s Midwest Times (Dec 19) were short-sighted and failed to acknowledge the accountability that “such meetings enforce the discipline of fronting the electors and presenting an annual report”.

Mayor Pickard cited Annual Electors Meeting requirements as one example of an external requirement no longer required in the contemporary environment.

“The comments are referring to the requirement of Local Government to have an Annual Electors Meeting, which you refer to as an example of ‘convoluted and outmoded government process’,” Mr Blayney said.

“I think such comments indicate that as an organisation you are completely out of touch with the community. Such meetings enforce the discipline of fronting the electors and presenting an annual report.

“If it’s good enough for publicly –listed companies to have to do this, it’s good enough for Councils to do it as well.”