This week I’m at the COSLA Conference with the Leader of our Council. The theme of the conference is “What is Local Government’s Role in Society?”
I hope you all know the pivotal role that you play in our communities, providing essential public services and projects that enhance our area. You do fantastic work that makes a difference.
We work in partnership with a lot of other public sector organisations that enable us all to do more, better. We are different from those bodies because we are a democratically elected sphere of government.
COSLA uses that language very purposefully as they promote a parity of esteem for local government with national government, and the principle that services should be local by default and national by agreement. This means that we are equal but different to national government, deserving the same respect.
It’s for this reason that we should value and cherish our democratic processes and governance. This is what makes local government the cornerstone of local democracy, closely accountable to our communities.
I know that reporting to our full Council and Committees can seem bureaucratic and time consuming. We go through multiple versions to get the information and recommendations right to inform good decision-making. While we always need to streamline these processes, we also need to appreciate that they provide us with democratic autonomy. This allows us to design and adapt services to meet our unique local circumstances.
So, I want to encourage you to celebrate our democracy, which is what will enable us to make the Argyll and Bute a healthier, thriving place to live.
Wishing you all a great weekend.
Pippa
Pippa Milne
Chief Executive
