Unbelievable isn't it - a year already gone.
25% of my chance to change the world - well, perhaps not quite.
So, how do I sum it up ?
Well, firstly I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
It's been ( the start of ) a wonderful challenge.
Although I felt prepared for representation of the people the unexpected being part of the ruling administration added a new dimension to the whole thing, something shared by every other Member ( whether they admit it or not ).
I'll just concentrate on my personal circumstances for the moment.
My main objective this past year was to get credibility.
Picture me over at the Count - candidates, party mates etc. all in blazers, suits and ties with their rosettes - and there's me in jeans, T-shirt and trainers.
I wonder what my new colleagues made of that.
And indeed so it was at our first Partnership Meeting. I don't think I'm best fitted to represent the Council on the Brecon Beacons National Park committee and setting my stall out early I said as much ( well, I did express it a little differently to that ).
And here I am now, Vice-Chair of a committee who, dare I say it, is now regarded as a positive contributor to business whether it's working groups, meetings or our own Partnership get-togethers.
I mention this because to get to that point I must have been doing things properly, so much so that I'm actually referred to as 'Rocky' by quite a few people 'over the Civic'.
( It's possibly because no-one really knows what I go under, given the ballot paper ! ).
I think it's a good benchmark of how you're getting on with people, what they call you.
However, I wasn't elected to keep any new colleagues happy or to be part of a clique. I was elected because people wanted change, mostly someone to speak for them, not a party, but also a change in the way politicians worked and communicated with the public.
I said I was a different type of candidate, and I then said that the people of Cwmtillery had subsequently voted in a different type of Councillor.
Well, I've certainly proved to be that, I think !
Foundry Bridge, Councillors' 'pay', Abertillery Online, The Gazette, vibrant discussions in The Mersh, the Corner Club and other places - just a few examples of my different approach to things.
I feel that people are appreciating this different way of doing things. No smokescreens, just open and honest debate with facts to back it all up.
What has really set the seal on it was a constituent I called to today.
She didn't know who I was and I had to remind her during our conversation. I then said 'Rocky' and she said 'So you're Rocky. They reckon you're good !'.
A great compliment and another sign that I'm going the right way, but this time in the most important part of the job ( got to say that with the money I'm on.... ) - representation of the people.
However, there's still a lot of things for me to sort out.
My office practices are a nightmare - a couple of missed meetings because of diary cock-ups, continued failure to set aside a fixed time to do the paperwork and other things.
I've only just finished my list for doling out my share of the 'halfpenny rate' grants that Councillors can give to organisations in their Ward.
I left mine until the end of the year ( ie. end of March ) so that I could ensure all that asked got something, rather than use it month by month and find that either no-one asked at the end of the year ( so there was spare cash in the pot ) or loads asked ( and there was precious little left to spread about ).
So I've really got to get a grip on this somehow.
The trouble is, I'm asked so much that to provide support for everyone the admin. almost always gets put on the back-burner.
The biggest disappointment(s) of the year has been the politics.
I haven't had it levelled at me but a lot of my colleagues have been told 'you've only been in power a few months' or 'I realise you've not much experience up there'.
Opposition Members need to realise that they have as little experience in opposition as members of the Partnership have in power.
And to be honest I think that the opposition has taken longer to settle into its role than The Partnership has.
An effective Opposition should hold the ruling administration to account and also provide viable alternatives, thereby keeping those in charge on their toes. In that way the people are served best.
Simply railing against decisions, bringing up points of order, arguing about who said what years ago, or what a Minute really means simply isn't the way to go. It just leaves them looking and sounding like sour grapes.
Mind you, I think The Partnership has much to learn as well. That's natural I suppose. When decisions are made then the public has to be to told the background and made to realise the truth, forcefully if necessary.
The potential closure of Nantyglo Comp. I think sums up what I'm trying to say about this past year.
An uneasy decision arising from a failure to address a problem, that's not unnaturally been poorly received in some quarters and as yet an inability to convey the very real reasons for it.
And an opposition that's proposing we should close 2 schools and build a new one, thereby affecting 3 times as many children ( and parents who are voters by the way ) and costing anything from 5 to 8 times as much.
Finally, I always said I'd work with anyone or any party ( small 'p' ) in the best interests of the people who expressed their wish to have me represent them.
The fact that this Forum and The Gazette Letters pages have quite often seen me at loggerheads with prominent members of the opposition group and/or the Labour Party sums up my views.
And the fact that I'm still playing a positive role with colleagues in The Partnership absolutely underlines it.
I wonder what next year's 'year that was' will be ?
martyn142
Thanks for all the reports Dai. It is good to get an insight into what is happening on the coal-face over there.
Rocke
Thanks Martyn.
Things move on and in this age it's been more like being in a black hole at times !
However, I compare it to those strongmen you see, the ones who pull trains or even jumbo jets.
The only way to succeed is to generate an initial surge sufficient to overcome the inertia. Then once the thing's moving it's a case of sustained pulling power.
I think that surge has happened and whilst not big enough to make maintaining momentum a bit easier the leviathan is at least moving forward.
It does mean, however, that we as a Partnership cannot stop for a moment and every one of us has to continue to contribute our energy to the benefit of our Borough and its citizens.
( Lord help us !
I'm beginning to sound like a politician ).
