John Osman County Councillor for Wells, responds to last weeks announcement that Tessa Munt will stand against him in the City for his County Council seat.
“As a Wells, born, raised and educated man I welcome the challenge of the former MP. I was however disappointed that instead of launching her campaign with a clear message of what she will bring to the City, she resorted to negative campaigning”
Cllr Osman said that he would respond today to the negative attacks and then would keep his campaign positive and not personal.
“As a local man who has lived in the City all of his life, I question how Mrs Munt thinks she can represent the City given that she lives the other side of Wedmore, some 10 miles away. The residents have a choice, someone who lives in the City, with a clear track record of delivery for residents or a candidate parachuted into the seat”
In his time as County Councillor for Wells Cllr Osman points to the CCTV, grit bins, bus shelters, resurfaced roads and the new pavements planned at Milton Lane, the jobs that will be created at the new Wells Enterprise Centre and funding he has obtained for local charities as some of his achievements for the City.
Cllr Osman also questioned the Lib Dems press release, where Mrs Munt only commits to the City of Wells for 3 years. “The County Council sits for a 4 year term, if she is committing only for three years because of her selection as the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate in 2020, then she would cause a by-election at great public expense. Wells in my view deserves better, a local person who will serve the full 4 years”
In relation to the personal attacks in the Lib Dem press release Cllr Osman responded.
Whilst there have been issues in the past, Mrs Munt is obviously not keeping up with current events in relation to the councils childrens services. We have recently received two good reports from Ofsted and one from the Minister for Families Edward Timpson MP. I will always be positive for the staff and the children involved and not seek to run down the service and moral like the Lib Dems.
To say that I run Somerset County Council as my personal fiefdom is inaccurate and pure personal attack. All 55 Councillors have the right to raise and debate any issue they wish at meetings. All Cabinet meetings are open to the public and I would point to the Cabinet meeting in March where I went beyond the rules to listen to residents and employees for nearly 3 hours on their concerns. I should also add the current system was put in place by the Lib Dems in 2009!
The Council only spends money on agency staff when, we are trying to fill a vacancy or if a member of staff calls in sick. We have a duty to our children and adults in our care. I would rather spend the money and make sure they are cared for. If Mrs Munt is suggesting I don’t pay for temporary staff to look after our residents, can she identify which residents she wishes to abandon?
Again Mrs Munt should pay attention to the facts, that our agency spend has reduced and is well under a million poiunds and that is becasuse we have been successful in bringing in over 40 new social workers to care for our residents.