Councillor defends his £28k car in cuts outcry
Acouncil chairman, given a “posh” new £28,800 Audi as part of his job, has defended the price, saying it is “cost-effective”.
A row broke out after Powys Council bought a new Audi A6 SE Executive 2.0 TDi Ultra for Dai Davies.
Councillor Davies, 53, said he was unable to drive the previous chairman’s manual car – a Skoda Superb – and can only drive an automatic after suffering a serious injury to his left ankle in a work-related accident.
The controversial decision to buy him the car has sparked outrage in a county which was forced to cut its budget by £29m between 2016-19.
But the Beriew councillor insists it’s value for money and would only be used on council business: “They bought it for £28,000 because it was a cancellation. It was cheaper than leasing. It was a deal too good to miss. It was the most cost-effective way to do it. It’s only a basic model. It doesn’t stand out at all.”
The semi-retired farmer added: “Anyone who knows me knows I don’t go wasting money.”
Coun Davies said his injury meant he could only walk short distances: “I have got a bad leg and ankle, which means I have to drive an automatic. I am also a blue-badge holder.
“I haven’t been able to drive a manual car since I had a work-related accident in 1998, resulting in my foot being severed at the ankle, and re-attached.”
But Plaid Cymru Glantwymyn Coun Elwyn Vaughan insisted that the cost of the Audi was “a total waste of money and insulting and insensitive to the people of Powys”.
“There is no way to justify the cost of this large, posh, executive car.”
The Plaid Cymru-Green group leader said if an automatic car was needed by the chairman, then there were “a lot of pool cars and one of those should be an automatic”.
Coun Vaughan has started a petition calling for a stop to the waste of money, which has attracted more than 1,000 signatures.
Last week the full council decided to refer the subject of buying and leasing cars to its democratic committee and to review “the future role of the chairman and all civic roles”.
Coun Vaughan added: “The chairman has a £12,000 fund to spend on entertaining and dinners. Also between staff costs, the area committees cost a total of £35,000 to run. It all mounts up.”
Commenting on the furore, DyfedPowys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said: “I have changed my office car from an expensive BMW to a Ford Focus. Just saying...”
Powys Council leader, Coun Rosemarie Harris, said: “The chairman has a physical disability which means he needs an automatic car.”
A council statement said: “Buying Coun Davies a car to be used for civic duties for 12 months of office will cost the council less than £3,000 after resale, significantly better value than leasing.”