The arguments against

The numbers game – this is a new argument. It seems the new draft rules for community councils would only give a single Nairn Council a maximum of 13 members as opposed to the potential of 29 for the three councils.

At the present time the Gurn believes that the three existing councils have a potential membership of 27. Do you know 27 community councillors? The reality is that each council has a small hard core of activists that keep them going. Suburban for example has been kept going recently by the heroic efforts of 3 community councillors.
 Furthermore the old District council had only 10 councillors and only 8 of them represented the town areas. There will probably never be 29 people willing to serve on three separate councils but surely thirteen citizens could be found to keep a single Royal Burgh Council alive.

Three councils are better than one?
 Really? What happens if they have conflicting views? How does the town get across its views to the powers that be if that is the case? And what happens if one or more of the councils simply cease to exist through the lack of effective members. That happened with the previous West council remember!

But we have the Ward Forum and Partnership

Yes and quite useful but there is a heavy representation from officials and appointees? It is not a wholly democratically elected body.

Our four Highland Councillors represent the town well already.

They are only 4 among 80 on the Highland Council and they are liable to have differing views. Liz for example is a member of the SNP group and Sandy, Graham and Laurie represent the administration. The Gurn feels it fair to say that the aims and interests of the Highland Council do not always dovetail with the aims and interests of Nairn.

A single council would actually make it easier for the four members to promote the views of the town, they would be able to argue that the community had clearly demonstrated its will on various elements of policy.

Parts of the town wouldn’t be represented – another new argument

That is a danger yes but consider that presently the River Community Council have five councillors who live in the Fishertown. It doesn’t mean that anyone who lives outwith that part of the town will not get a fair say.

Remember everyone gets the chance to put up as a candidate at the elections and hopefully the elections for a single council would encourage more people to participate in the elections.