AT first glance people will wonder why Kirklees Council is to spend £25,000 on iPads for all its councillors at a time of stringent budget cuts.
Some say the money would be better spent on other things but the council has put up a staunch defence of the issue, saying that the move will actually save money and make the councillors more accessible.
It would save on paperwork and will make it easy for people to get in touch with their councillors – even though their phone numbers are now already available to all. Let’s not forget there are thousands of people in Kirklees who won’t know how to contact a councillor via an iPad ... or email.
Let’s also hope a system has been set up to monitor how the councillors use the iPads, the ways in which they save taxpayers’ cash and, after 12 months, how much has actually been saved by the move.
