CCTV - News Update....

TOWN COUNCIL SAYS NO TO FUNDING.

CHAMBER SAYS LET'S LOOK FOR OPTIONS TO FUND.

At the meeting of the full Town Council on 22^nd November councillors voted on the basis of the Town Council CCTV Working Group report recommendation not to fund CCTV now or in the future .

The first point to consider is that the opinions stated are made by the MTC CCTV working group from their situation outside the MCC CCTV Partnership. Opinions expressed by Abergavenny, Caldicot and Chepstow Town Councils come from within the CCTV partnership based on close knowledge of the system and they are very happy with their agreements and the system's operation and effectiveness.

There is an implication in the report that the contribution made by Monmouth Town Council would be costly. The yearly cost of being part of the MCC CCTV system is £12500, with a one off reconnection charge of £6880 from BT. On the basis that Monmouth Town Council's precept demand for 2011/12 will be,£141, 300, then £12,500 would represent an 8.8% increase in the application , but our town's budget with CCTV included would likely still be well below that of other towns in the county.

On each resident's council tax summary for this year they will see an amount (Precept) that supports the activities of Monmouth Town Council. The average total council tax bill for this current year for 4800 households in town is £1300. Funding CCTV in the first year would equate to an increase in the yearly council tax bill of just £4 and in subsequent years a lower figure of just £2.60 Too small in a newspaper comment to show as a percentage, but less (£2.60) than the price of a 1lb block of cheese, or a pint of beer.

"The Chamber is a respected, credible and important influence on the town". These are the words of a councillor at a meeting this the summer- not mine! As such, it would be wrong of us to abandon the interests of 1037 residents who signed a petition for CCTV's reinstatement, as well as the unanimous support of Chamber members. We would politely request the County Council not to remove the cameras, whilst we formulate alternative options for funding. Unlike the Town Council, we and the thousand plus Monmouth residents who support CCTV consider spending £2.60 per year per household of (after all) our money for CCTV, a cost worth paying".

David Cummings, Chairman