Local Authorities

[The Voice of Reason]

2 minutes ago, CallMeCurious said:

When you can get into office automatically if no-one else stands it's hardly conducive to democracy is it? I'd rather see a seat remain vacant until there a minimum of two candidates. 

Piffle. If you’ve only got one candidate willing to put the time and effort into the role why deny them the opportunity just because no one else can be arsed?
 

 

 

[Passing Time]

2 hours ago, TheTeapot said:

It was very popular under the previous tenant, and has definitely been missed down there. I hope you are right and someone quickly takes it on. 

The problem with a lot of properties is the stupidly high rents. At that rent, a prospective tenant stands a good chance of running a business without crippling themselves. Well done the commissioners.

[GreyWolf]

Teapot I believe they were offered 12k per year for a 3 year lease long months ago with an offer of the tenant paying more after that when hopefully the business had taken off. So the board in there wisdom have just let it sit deteriorating at a loss to the ratepayers 

The rent they are asking at present is to high in this financial climate and it now needs a fair bit doing internally also it certainly doesn’t look like the photos put up unless there’s been a load of work done within last fortnight.

The old tenants family have invested a fortune in turning around the wreck of a building that was manxonia which will now hopefully revitalize that area of the port and good luck to them there carverys were bob on. 

Edited March 9 by GreyWolf

[TheTeapot]

15 minutes ago, GreyWolf said:

Teapot I believe they were offered 12k per year for a 3 year lease long months ago with an offer of the tenant paying more after that when hopefully the business had taken off. So the board in there wisdom have just let it sit deteriorating at a loss to the ratepayers 

The rent they are asking at present is to high in this financial climate and it now needs a fair bit doing internally also it certainly doesn’t look like the photos put up unless there’s been a load of work done within last fortnight.

The old tenants family have invested a fortune in turning around the wreck of a building that was manxonia which will now hopefully revitalize that area of the port and good luck to them there carverys were bob on. 

Yeah I had heard something similar, they had had a bit of interest.

The former tenant is a commissioner right?

[GreyWolf]

Yeah she is.

[TheTeapot]

Well its certainly a good thing there can be no question of any conflicts of interest there then.

[Roger Mexico]

On 3/8/2024 at 1:54 PM, Fred the shred said:

The turnout for yesterday’s election in Ramsey was 18.6%.      This complete apathy in politics by the general public is scary there were four candidates which is good for a local authority but why is there such disinterest by the general public ?

It's low but not amazingly so, especially for a town ward.  In the last full Borough elections in Douglas, turnout in Central was 21.5%; East was 17.8% and North was only 16.1%.  And by-elections nearly always have a lower turnout than normal ones.  For example in London there was a by-election for (executive) Mayor of Lewisham the same day as Ramsey and  the turnout was only 20.7% (it had been 35% in 2022).  No one is saying that means the London Boroughs need to be abolished.

It's worth pointing out that there are technical reasons why turnouts on the Isle of Man are lower as well (it was only 50.7% in the General Election in 2021).  Our franchise is very generous - not just 16 and 17 year-olds, but the only requirement is one years residency on the Island.  This is unlike the UK where there are also citizenship requirements for example.  So there will be a lot of people on the electoral register with little connection to the Island or where they live locally and no knowledge of local politics and they won't vote.  Probably more than half the electorate were born off-Island, so disengagement may be more common that in other places.  And we don't have 'proper' political parties that supporters will automatically vote for and who might help to get out the vote.

22 hours ago, Fred the shred said:

[...]   I wonder how many 16 yr olds voted ? 

Obviously we don't have figures but we do for the 2021 General Election.  General turnout was 50.7% while among 16 &17 year-olds it was only a bit lower at 45.9%.  Given that the general rule is the older, you are the more likely you are to vote, that's actually pretty good.