To lead or to follow?

Sometimes when you're canvassing, and you ask a resident if there's anything you can help them with, you get the response "If you want to be the Councillor, why don't you tell me what the problems are?"

I can see the point. There's an un-attributed quote which says something along the lines of "There go my people, I must find out where they are heading so I can lead them!"

But democracy is about a combination of following and leading, and it's not always clear what the best route is - and for that you need to listen to people.

Today has included one of those unclear choices.

Tonight at full council we voted to keep a mayor for Macclesfield. The plans were disappointingly unclear, in that the area covered by the new mayor has not been specified (but is unlikely to be the same as present) - and also that the expense of this appointment has not been calculated.

I have been told, dismissively, that it will "not be expensive". I assume from arrangements elsewhere that there will be an office, an assistant, possibly a car with driver and an allowance for the individual concerned. It's difficult to see how the bill to the taxpayer is going to be that much less than £100k a year. All of which will be met solely by the tax payers for the area concerned - which is likely to be the urban "town" area of Macclesfield.

This same town area of Macclesfield, in my opinion, would really benefit from having 3 extra coppers - which we could get for similar money. At the rates Poynton pay we could have just under 10 PCSO's. These would have been useful a few nights ago when my neighbours fence was destroyed by a group of lads - could the Mayor have helped with that?

However there is quite a romance about having a mayor - and Macclesfield has had one since the thirteenth centuary. The position can do a lot to lead the community, and foster a sense of belonging. It helps keep Macclesfield on the map.