ANGLESEY Council will continue to work to regain the trust of residents and the Welsh Government.
That was the message from council leader Bryan Owen after Welsh Government Minister Carl Sargeant told assembly members today (Tuesday, February 7) that the commissioner in charge of the authority had achieved “a major turnaround in less than a year.”
Councillor Owen said: “We’re moving forward with the support of the Commissioners and will continue to do our utmost to regain the trust of the people of Anglesey and Welsh Government.”
Mr Sargeant said that the authority had improved in areas including standards of member behaviour, a “radical overhaul” for strategic and business planning; improved engagement with residents and a more strategic approach to economic regeneration.
However, he stressed that there were changes to implement, such as redrawing electoral boundaries and fully contested elections as part of the democratic renewal process; agreeing a budget and council tax rate for 2012-13; and completing a “radical” reform of the council’s corporate and senior management.
He told assembly members that the commissioners, who were installed last March, would remain in charge until May 2013.
Chief Executive of Anglesey Council Richard Parry Jones said, “The Minister has made it clear that the Welsh Government’s intervention will remain in place until he is fully confident that this authority can manage its own affairs effectively and efficiently