Sir, I was disappointed at the lack of balance in your reporting of the county council's position on threatened local government reorganisation.
Perhaps because no reporter attended our May 16 cabinet, your resulting coverage will have left an impression that we are eagerly seeking the abolition of our district councils and the creation of a single (unitary) county council delivering all services in Oxfordshire. Nothing could be further from the truth.
In our cabinet meeting, I made it very clear that our preference is for working with district council colleagues to develop an enhanced and seamless two-tier model for Oxfordshire.
It was only with considerable regret that we also asked our chief executive to advise on the advantages and disadvantages of a unitary model in case the Government eventually leaves us with no other choice.
I rather suspect the requested advice will indicate that several unitary councils in Oxfordshire might be too small to be cost effective and to act strategically while a single, unitary council for Oxfordshire might seem remote from its citizens.
If I am right, this would seem to point to the logic of a model for local government that contained both an authority capable of acting strategically in county-wide issues and more locally-based councils to represent interests at a local level. In other words, the two-tier, county and district structure that we have enjoyed since 1974. I have said it before but, if it ain't bust, don't fix it.
Keith R Mitchell, Leader of the council, County Hall, Oxford
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