An article by Gwynedd Local Democracy Reporter, Gareth Wyn Williams was posted to the North Dot Wales website on Friday, 31st July, 2020.
The article features the Llais Gwynedd party member, Alwyn Gruffydd, who makes comment on the recent Cyngor Gwynedd Annual Governance Statement and in particular the section referring to the low number of residents responses to various public consultations by Gwynedd Council.
The Council's statement states that there is "no great aspiration" amongst the public to hold the Council to account."
However, Councillor Gruffydd, representing Porthmadog - Tremadog, challenged this statement citing "a lack of trust" in the decision making of the Gwynedd Cabinet Members.
He continued - "I fear there may be a feeling out there that their local members simply aren't in a situation to represent them as they aren't part of any decision making process".
"The agenda today is full of items for considerations only, but we have to consider accountability or we'll be in an even worse situation, and a loss of that vital contact means that the principle of local government goes down the drain."
The Chair of Gwynedd Council Care Scrutiny Committee, Dewi Roberts, added - "I do agree there's been a lack of input in the decision making process."
Head of Finance, Dafydd L Edwards, is quoted -
"The sharing out of business grants was an additional task above and beyond, with Gwynedd allocating £55 Million to local business, which is more than any Welsh authority apart from Cardiff."
Councillor, Paul Rowlinson, representing Gerlan, noted the pausing of committees, including the Employment Appeals Committee had left some members of staff in limbo.
This article by the Local Democracy Reporter for Gwynedd was first sighted on Twitter where someone pointed out the issue of FIVE Ombudsman for Wales investigations in just FOUR years shows that some people of Gwynedd are attempting to hold Gwynedd Council to account.
The Democracy reporter has since deleted the Twitter thread and the article below is no longer on the news website - why ?
Something is very wrong within Gwynedd Council.
Update - The local democracy reporter has since been in touch to inform that his tweet was deleted due to a an error in one of Councillor Gruffydd's quotes.
The corrected article can be found here - https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/gwynedd-councillors-say-were-shut-18705757
