The new CEO of Harrow Council spoke openly with nearly 100 Pinner Association members and other local residents about a number of pressing issues.
Attendees, including assembly member of Brent and Harrow, Navin Shah, attended the open meeting on April 17 to hear the new CEO of Harrow Council, Sean Harriss, speak very openly about the difficulties of running a local authority in constrained financial times.
In answer to questions from the floor, Mr Harriss acknowledged that Pinner residents often find it difficult to contact Harrow Council when they have queries or complaints, as was evidenced by the recent non-collection of brown bins, for which the additional annual fee had been paid and the confusing information about this that enquirers had received from the council.
One questioner thanked Mr Harriss for replying to a complaint email early that Sunday morning, and Mr Harriss acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the issuing of new bin stickers for the new payment year and said he would ensure that communication with the council on such matters would improve.
Mr Harriss also said providing the necessary public services for all in Harrow while being required to spend some 70 per cent of the council’s annual budget on child and adult social care was a challenge.
He was very aware that council tax payers felt that they were paying more but getting less from their local authority, which was due to the money that Harrow Council receives from national Government decreasing from £53million per year in the past to only £1.5million this year.
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