A district councillor is coming under increasing pressure to resign amid claims that he does not have enough time for his constituents.
Stephen Broadhurst, one of three representatives for the Dane Valley ward in Margate, is under fire for seemingly spending more time in the Central American state of Panama on business than he does in Thanet.
The Tory councillor is paid some £4,360 of taxpayers’ money each year to represent his ward, which is paid to him in 12 equal instalments, and the calls for him to step down are increasing.
The isle’s Labour group leader Clive Hart said: “I don’t think I’d recognise the man if I bumped into him in broad daylight.
“If people have holidays or work commitments that take them away every so often, then no one can argue, but there is a difference here.
“Cllr Broadhurst represents one of the most deprived wards in Kent. I have no idea how any member can be away for weeks at a time from a ward that is in such desperate need of representation and commitment as Dane Valley is.
“If someone does not have the time to do the job properly, then they should allow the residents there to elect someone who could. What is he doing with his money?”
Yourthanet called Cllr Broadhurst’s mobile on Friday morning. We asked to speak to him, but a man’s voice said “No, this is not him, he’s ill, goodbye” before disconnecting the call.
We rang again later that afternoon and a man again answered. We were told that the councillor was in bed with a chest infection. The man said he did not know if he was in Panama or Thanet and that the councillor’s calls had been “diverted” to him.
On Tuesday a man again answered and said he had not seen or heard from Cllr Broadhurst for two days.
There is no answer at his home telephone number available on Thanet council’s website.
If Cllr Broadhurst stepped down, a by-election would be triggered in the ward.
Blogger Tony Flaig lives in Cllr Broadhurst’s ward of Dane Valley.
He said: “I think it’s an outrage, he is taking the mickey out of us, the people who live here. The situation seems unjust and untenable.
“I have tried to contact him recently about the Northdown House issue but not had any reply, which is not good, seeing as I wanted to discuss the situation with him.
“He is not available in my eyes and it’s not good enough and not in the spirit of being an elected person in my book. He should go, and go now.”
Thanet council’s records show that since the start of the year Cllr Broadhurst has attended three meetings, the lowest number behind former councillor Audrey Pickering, who was suffering ill-health.
That number is a third of the amount he was due to attend.
According to the council’s democratic services department, if a member of the council does not attend a meeting for a six-month period, they cease to be a member of council with immediate effect.
Yourthanet tried to contact Thanet council leader Sandy Ezekiel to ask what he thought of Cllr Broadhurst’s attendance record, but he was unavailable for comment.
POSTED: 29/07/2009 10:01:04
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