Carlisle's Half Million Trumpton Mayor

Wow 🤯

As part of the local government changes in Cumbria charter trusts were formed in two locations that had no parish councils to protect the status of the mayor ceremonial for the areas and other status.

In Barrow a charter trust was established to allow Barrow to keep a Mayor this charter trust was quickly replaced by a town council for Barrow with 21 elected councillors.

In a Carlisle a charter trust was established to preserve the city status and enable the city to have a ceremonial mayor after the city council was scrapped.

The charter trust had a budget of £34,700 paid for via a precept on the council tax of those who live in the city of Carlisle.

The main purpose of the budget and charter trust is to allow Carlisle to maintain city status and have a ceremonial mayor.

Unlike arrow Carlisle has not established a city-wide parish council that could deliver much needed local representation, facilities and services.

A city-wide parish council could also call itself a city council and have Mayor.

But shockingly the Trustees of the Charter trust made up of the Cumberland councillors for the wards in Carlisle are set to approve a budget that will be paid by Carlisle residents via the council tax precept for the next year 24/25 council tax bill that will if approved by almost half a million pounds.

All that to pay over £100,000 back to Cumberland council they all serve on for office space and staffing provision to enable the trust and mayor to charge residents for having them meet and the mayor cut ribbons.

The budget will also include the doubling of the hire cost for the Carlisle mayor's car to almost £10,000.

What’s wrong with the bus….

Is Carlisle having a ceremonial Mayor really worth almost half a million a year?

Short answer is on its own no, But if the ceremonial role was part of a city wide parish council that delivered much more then possibly yes.

Just up the road in Silloth the town council has a precept amount of £173,000 for the current year and has a ceremonial Mayor wit the town council delivering events and providing facilities and services to support its community. Aspatria Town Council for the current year has a precept/budget of £77,500 again the town has via the town council a Ceremonial Mayor.

It appears that the Carlisle Charter Trust that beyond the Cumberland councillors been the trustees no one in Carlisle gets to vote directly for the charter trustees yet they can set a direct charge to Carlisle residents of what ever they like without any limits or need for referendum on council tax levels and that money isolating for fancy cars and helping fill the black hole of Cumberland Council for little benefit to Carlisle council tax payers.

It could be viewed as a stealth city double taxation by Cumberland Council on residents of the city.

It’s time Carlisle got serious and had a city wide parish council with directly elected members that have the powers to take on assets such as the market hall Turkish baths, play parks from Cumberland council and protect and improve them for the city.

And deliver best value for. Only not just a pomp and pageantry ceremonial mayor costing more than many fully fledged town councils in Cumbria.

At the same time that Cumbria underwent Local Government Reorganisation that changed the councils so did North Yorkshire and like Cumbria it also had some charter trusts created at the same time as Carlisle charter trust was created for same reasons.

The two in North Yorkshire are for Scarborough and Harrogate. 

Like Carlisle they are also setting their budgets and precepts for the next years council tax.

Tax Base for Scarborough 12,402.66 precept of £22,900

Tax Base for Harrogate 27,856.78 precept of £12,800

Tax Base for Carlisle 20,010.84 precept of £496,413

Harrogate is the best direct comparison for Carlisle.

All have officer support and office/meeting space with the new upper tier council as well so identical comparisons for the three charter trusts.