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# Councillor says civic event axe shows Lichfield District Council must move with the times
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/councillor-says-civic-event-axe-shows-lichfield-district-council-must-move-with-the-times/
- Published: 2017-03-09T09:40:55.000Z
- Updated: 2017-03-09T09:40:55.000Z
- Description: The decision to axe the only civic event of the year held by Lichfield District Council’s chairman shows why the local authority needs to move with the times, a Burntwood councillor has said.
- Author: Lichfield Live
- Tags: Politics, News

The decision to axe the only civic event of the year held by Lichfield District Council’s chairman shows why the local authority needs to move with the times, a Burntwood councillor has said.

Plans for a fundraising event [had to be shelved](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2017/03/07/lichfield-district-council-chairman-forced-to-axe-only-civic-event-after-just-eight-councillors-say-they-will-attend/) after it emerged just eight elected representatives had responded to an invite from Cllr David Salter.

In an email to his colleagues, the chairman of the council said: “It is with huge regret and a heavy heart that my one and only civic event of the year has had to be cancelled due to a lack of support.”

[![Cllr Sue Woodward](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e3/90/e390c3da-0866-4d2a-8ffe-ca4999d7ce1c/content/images/lichfieldlive-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/susan_woodward.jpg)](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2009/05/12/lichfield-mps-comments-anger-labour-candidate/susan%5Fwoodward/)

Cllr Sue Woodward

But Cllr Sue Woodward, leader of the Labour opposition group and one of those who did reply, said the apathy showed why a rethink was needed.

“Times have changed and I think councils need to change too,” she said.

“I have been concerned that the cost of events such as these, both to the council and to individuals, is far exceeded by the funds raised for good causes.”

The civic role at Lichfield District Council has been the subject of much debate in recent years.

A chauffeur-driven Jaguar used by the authority’s civic leaders [was downgraded](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2016/04/19/changes-to-civic-car-are-approved-by-lichfield-district-council/) after it emerged it would cost the taxpayer more than £16,000.

There has also been criticism over the size of the budget allocated for civic purposes – which at one stage stood at [more than £50,000 a year](//lichfieldlive.co.uk/2015/12/07/decision-over-future-of-50000-lichfield-district-council-civic-fund-delayed-until-2016/).