Local elections will soon be upon us and it is a good time to reflect on the performance of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and in particular its management committee.

Ten years ago a report found that Weymouth’s ferry service contributed £7.7million a year (at 2002 prices) to the local economy.

The report also highlighted the serious deterioration of the Commercial Pier.

In the intervening time no improvements or preventative maintenance has taken place resulting in the partial collapse of the pier and the subsequent loss of the ferry service.

In the coming year, the council will directly lose £650,000 in harbour fees alone.

Cllr Goodman tells us (Dorset Echo, March 19) that by collective decision-making the funding was spent elsewhere.

In December 2011, the management committee refused to increase the Pavilion Theatre budget for 2012/13, but come February they performed a complete U-turn and approved an increase of £60,000.

However, the Pavilion finances are totally out of control, with the current 2011/12 budget of £785,069 anticipated to be a further £110,883 overspent.

So the facility that brings significant benefit and income to the borough is left to fall into decay and ruin, while the other spends money like confetti irrespective of its allocated budget.

The problem lies with our elected representatives and that ultimately is the responsibility of the whole electorate.

Some of our councillors have been in office for many years and have continually underperformed.

They sit there as of right, foster their pet projects and squander our money.

It is not so much collective responsibility, but collective irresponsibility, collective incompetence and collective impunity.

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