Member’s Annual Review 2011/2012

Robert Burgess

Conservative Member for West Division

A year at County Hall. Serving Kent. Serving You.

Kent County Council has 84 Youth Worker. As a hobby Robert is Contacting Your Councillor Members representing every part of a keen amateur painter, dabbling in Elected Members are here to help the County. Robert has been serving water colour landscapes and residents, organisations and the community of Margate West as seascapes. businesses with enquiries about KCC a Member since 2005. services. They are probably a good He was last elected in 2009 and, like starting point for other enquiries all KCC Members, serves for a four too. year term of office. The next KCC elections take place on 2 May 2013. To contact Robert: About Robert Married to his wife Eunice, Robert By Post has two children and a grand‐ 3 Gilbert Road daughter. He has lived locally since Ramsgate 1986. Garlinge Festival Community Kent

Day CT11 7QR Robert has had a varied career which has included Engineering, Work at County Hall By Telephone Teaching and running his own Attending meetings isn’t all 07976 850064 successful kitchen business. councillors do, in fact most of their time is spent out and about meeting Robert is an Incorporated Engineer people in their community, doing By email and a qualified electrician. Robert is their best to help solve problems [email protected] qualified inh bot Electrical and and finding out what matters most Mechanical Engineering and to them. However, when decisions Graduated from University of are taken by the council, their job is Greenwich in 1995 with a BEd in to be there tand pu across the views Secondary Education (Technology). of their constituents. Robert has attended 7out of 8 As a teacher he has taught locally at meetings of the Full Council. Hartsdown School and also at Find out more about the meetings Sandwich Technology School. Robert has attended. http://www.kent.gov.uk/your_coun Robert was elected to serve as the cil.aspx County Councillor for Margate West in 2005. When not working or on council duties he spends some of his free time volunteering, including as a school governor and as a part time Allowances Member’s Community Grant Each Member of KCC receives a basic allowance (salary) to KCC has found a great way to help fund local community groups and organisations compensate them for the time without fuss or too much bureaucracy. Every year, each KCC Member may allocate spent on their duties and to meet £10,000 to worthwhile causes within their community. many of the day‐to‐day expenses of Here’s how Robert spent his last year: being a Councillor. Improvements to Gent’s toilet and changing room – Westbrook Bowls Club ‐ £700 Some Members also receive a Quartet family activities and ‘Steeping Up’ project – Quartet in the Community Special Responsibility Allowance Schools Partnership ‐ £3,500 (SRA) when they take on extra West Youth Project – Funding for starting up Youth Project and employing part duties such as serving as a member time worker ‐ £2,500 of the Cabinet, Leader of the Improvement to existing audio equipment – Margate Active Retirement Opposition or Chairman of a Association ‐ £429 committee. Gardening Adventure – Royal School for Deaf Children, Margate ‐ £1,000 County Councillors can only claim Self Reliance Project Kent Community Organisation ‐ £771 the usual expenses that most TVs and fixings for Westgate venue – St John’s Ambulance ‐ £1,100 businesses would pay for. These are for actual costs for example reimbursement for fuel If you want to suggest a local group which could benefit from the Member’s and travel which they have incurred Community Grant then you’ll find your local Councillor’s contact details on the whilst carrying out their duties as front page. County Councillor. View Members allowances and expenses

Member’s Highway Fund

KCC recognises that local Members are well placed to decide which small transport and highways schemes would be most useful to their communities. That’s why each Member is allocated £25,000 to spend on local schemes. It’s called the Members Highway Fund and here’s how it was spent last year... Funding for Sunday Bus from Linksfield Road, Westgate to Turner Centre, QEQM and Westwood Cross ‐ £7,750

Disabled access, Highways work in Hartsdown School ‐ £7,000

My achievements this year, and ambitions for next year Over the last year I have had the pleasure to attend many meetings both locally and in . This has been a particularly difficult year with everyone being affected in some way by the saving which Kent County council has had to make. I am the Chairman of the Youth Advisory Group and also the Joint Transportation board. I have been at the forefront of the recent transformation of the Youth service, ensuring that the young people of Thanet get the best possible outcome for their provision.

Successful projects I have instigated include the traffic island at St James’s church and the Puffin crossing at Hartsdown School. I am always contactable to help residents with any issues they have.

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