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Local Government
Rochford Parish Council
Rochford Parish Council
Councillor Sarah Rogers
8A Golden Cross Parade,
Rochford
Essex
SS4 1SL
01702 531107
8A Golden Cross Parade,
Rochford
Essex
SS4 1SL
01702 531107
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Talking with Rochford Parish Councillor, Sarah Rodgers
(19th July 2012)
(19th July 2012)
Passing through the Parish Rooms to check on some personal matters, I ran across Councillor Sarah Rogers. Ever wanting to bring the Council to the fore in our understanding of the life of Rochford, we asked Sarah if she had a few minutes to share and here’s what she said.
Rochford Life: Sarah, thank you for giving us your time. How long have you been a councillor?
Sarah: I think about four or five years. It might have been even longer than that.
RL: Why did you become a Parish Councillor?
Sarah: Well, I worked in a security firm in Hockley and my boss was a District Councillor and a Parish Councillor and he suggested I became a Parish Councillor, so I went for it and stayed with it. I’m a single working mum and I work full time and I don’t get much chance to do any voluntary work and so i felt that this was a way to put something back into the community.
RL: That must take some time?
Sarah: I’m Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee, and of course am on full Council, and I’m now on St. Marks Hall Committee so that’s just three meetings a month.
RL: Was finance something you were press-ganged into?
Sarah: Oh no, I love finance, I love number crunching, so finance was one I really wanted to go on.
RL: So what does finance cover?
Sarah: It covers setting the budget, the precept for the year – I think it’s the third year running that our share of the Council Tax hasn’t been increased – we set the budget for the year, how much we’re going to have for each thing. We do the bus shelters, the hanging baskets, the cemetery, St. Marks Hall. Then we have events. Every other year we do the Christmas events. We monitor the money coming in and the money going out to ensure we’re not running at a loss, and ensuring the money is being spent wisely and effectively.
RL: You mentioned St. Marks Hall, That used to have it own committee outside the Council didn’t it?
Sarah: Yes, but I’m looking forward to St. Marks because it’s now been changed so it will be the same as our other committees. We have our own budget for it now. I think there are quite exciting times ahead for St. Marks. I want the Hall to be more successful and I’m trying to persuade one of the users to stand as a Parish Councillor. I really would like to see people from all walks of life represented on the Council; perhaps we need shaking up from other viewpoints.
RL: Do you think that sometimes people are intimidated by ‘authority’ and therefore don’t want to come on the Council?
Sarah: Yes, but unless you put yourself forward and speak you won’t achieve anything. I know that there are votes that take place on the Council that I totally disagree with but it’s a majority and it’s democracy. I’ll argue my point but if I don’t get my way and others decide to go another way, that’s fine, and that’s what it’s all about, Times are changing and things that were once accepted are no longer. If you are not sure about things, you can always ask our Clerk, who I think is fantastic. I think she does a great job, she’s really good, she’s really helpful and she has a wealth of knowledge
RL: I see from the Parish Pump that you are four Councillors down at the present. Does that put a burden on you?
Sarah: Well it’s always nice to have a full number. If you have a Committee Meeting, there have to be so many there to hold it, so obviously when you are reduced in numbers that can be difficult. I think we’ve taken on two since the Parish Pump went out, so I think we might have just two gaps, but people come and go. Sometimes people don’t realise what it entails and I know that for me, for the first six months i didn’t have a clue about what was happening. So some people can be a little fearful of speaking up, but I’ll say anything. Every Councillor has the right to speak up and be heard. People have different opinions and different opinions hold sway at different times. Some people, for instance, would say that the jewel in the crown was the cemetery whereas another would say that is for deceased people but our jewel in the crown is St. Marks because that’s for people who are alive today. That’s two very different opinions but you can see both points of view. We take pride in both, but it’s important to speak what you feel. I love the Christmas events that we do, and it’s very good having the opportunity to muck in. It’s having the opportunity to give something back to the community.
RL: Well Sarah, thank you very much. It’s been very nice to meet you and catch a sense of a breath of fresh air blowing through the corridors of the authority! Thank you again.
Rochford Life: Sarah, thank you for giving us your time. How long have you been a councillor?
Sarah: I think about four or five years. It might have been even longer than that.
RL: Why did you become a Parish Councillor?
Sarah: Well, I worked in a security firm in Hockley and my boss was a District Councillor and a Parish Councillor and he suggested I became a Parish Councillor, so I went for it and stayed with it. I’m a single working mum and I work full time and I don’t get much chance to do any voluntary work and so i felt that this was a way to put something back into the community.
RL: That must take some time?
Sarah: I’m Vice-
RL: Was finance something you were press-
RL: So what does finance cover?
Sarah: It covers setting the budget, the precept for the year – I think it’s the third year running that our share of the Council Tax hasn’t been increased – we set the budget for the year, how much we’re going to have for each thing. We do the bus shelters, the hanging baskets, the cemetery, St. Marks Hall. Then we have events. Every other year we do the Christmas events. We monitor the money coming in and the money going out to ensure we’re not running at a loss, and ensuring the money is being spent wisely and effectively.
RL: You mentioned St. Marks Hall, That used to have it own committee outside the Council didn’t it?
Sarah: Yes, but I’m looking forward to St. Marks because it’s now been changed so it will be the same as our other committees. We have our own budget for it now. I think there are quite exciting times ahead for St. Marks. I want the Hall to be more successful and I’m trying to persuade one of the users to stand as a Parish Councillor. I really would like to see people from all walks of life represented on the Council; perhaps we need shaking up from other viewpoints.
RL: Do you think that sometimes people are intimidated by ‘authority’ and therefore don’t want to come on the Council?
Sarah: Yes, but unless you put yourself forward and speak you won’t achieve anything. I know that there are votes that take place on the Council that I totally disagree with but it’s a majority and it’s democracy. I’ll argue my point but if I don’t get my way and others decide to go another way, that’s fine, and that’s what it’s all about, Times are changing and things that were once accepted are no longer. If you are not sure about things, you can always ask our Clerk, who I think is fantastic. I think she does a great job, she’s really good, she’s really helpful and she has a wealth of knowledge
RL: I see from the Parish Pump that you are four Councillors down at the present. Does that put a burden on you?
Sarah: Well it’s always nice to have a full number. If you have a Committee Meeting, there have to be so many there to hold it, so obviously when you are reduced in numbers that can be difficult. I think we’ve taken on two since the Parish Pump went out, so I think we might have just two gaps, but people come and go. Sometimes people don’t realise what it entails and I know that for me, for the first six months i didn’t have a clue about what was happening. So some people can be a little fearful of speaking up, but I’ll say anything. Every Councillor has the right to speak up and be heard. People have different opinions and different opinions hold sway at different times. Some people, for instance, would say that the jewel in the crown was the cemetery whereas another would say that is for deceased people but our jewel in the crown is St. Marks because that’s for people who are alive today. That’s two very different opinions but you can see both points of view. We take pride in both, but it’s important to speak what you feel. I love the Christmas events that we do, and it’s very good having the opportunity to muck in. It’s having the opportunity to give something back to the community.
RL: Well Sarah, thank you very much. It’s been very nice to meet you and catch a sense of a breath of fresh air blowing through the corridors of the authority! Thank you again.