A Former Peel Town Commissioner has expressed support for Commissioner Katryna Baptist and raised wider concerns about governance within the local authority.
Hazel Hannan says she experienced similar issues during her own time on the board, particularly around the recording of minutes, agreed actions and the level of support provided by the Chair and fellow Commissioners.
Mrs Hannan says that “power is with the Clerk who writes the minutes, actions agreed, issues or doesn’t as he sees fit.”
She added that without a strong Chair to safeguard the interests of Commissioners, “the whole system fails.”
Commissioner’s Concerns
Her comments follow recent public concerns raised by Commissioner Baptist regarding transparency and internal processes at Peel Town Commissioners.
Mrs Hannan also criticised a statement issued by the Clerk on Monday evening, saying it was produced “in less than 24 hours” and without a meeting,” describing this as “typical of the Town Hall.”
She further argued that local authorities “are not fit for purpose,” claiming that previous attempts by the government to strengthen community governance through legislation had been resisted by some Clerks and Commissioners.
