I’m puzzled by Cllr Sample’s justification for taking money for work he doesn’t do.

According to him because he has taken on far too many jobs than he can actually manage, and also has a full-time job, he cannot be expected to attend every meeting necessary to do the job properly.

He claims that he must “manage [his] time carefully”.

Well, can I offer the good councillor an obvious solution that he doesn’t seem to have thought of and which is pretty much Time Management 101? If you are failing to live up to all your obligations, then cut back on your overall workload and decide what exactly you want to spend your time on.

Obviously his day job must take priority and after that then pick say two out of the four public roles and he could comfortably find time to turn up at council meetings. After all, those signing on for Job Seeker’s Allowance are expected to fulfil certain criteria when looking for work and if they don’t, their allowance is swiftly cut off. Why does Cllr Sample think that he is any different?

Imagine if someone in receipt of JSA declared that she would only apply for jobs within 10 miles of Salisbury because commuting further would interfere with her charity work or family life. I can assure Cllr Sample that this attempt to alter the terms of her contract would be laughed out of the Job Centre.

So I suggest that Cllr Sample stop altering the terms of his contract in his favour, simply because it suits him to do so, and resign from as many ‘jobs’ as he needs to in order to have time to do what tax-payers are paying him to do.

LYNN MACNAUGHTON, Broad Chalke

  • Reference your story ‘Poor turnout at council meetings’ (Salisbury Journal, July 19 ) I was shocked to learn that my Wiltshire councillor, Paul Sample does not attend 65 per cent of council and planning meetings. I was even more shocked to learn that he can’t attend because he is too busy. I feel certain that I speak for the majority of those who voted for him in 2009 when I say that if he is too busy with his other roles to represent us properly then he should stand down immediately and let someone else represent us.

In effect, we pay Paul Sample almost £11,000 a year as a Wiltshire councillor but he only does £3,300 worth of work. To suggest that his poor attendance record is acceptable because he is “not retired, unemployed or unemployable” is a poor excuse and frankly an insult to all those who voted for him in 2009. Other Wiltshire Councillors are “not retired, unemployed or unemployable” but have much better attendance records. Why can’t Paul Sample manage his time as well as they manage theirs? His excuse for not attending planning meetings is that they are not “directly relevant” to issues in his ward. However, a planning application on one side of a street not in Paul Sample’s ward can have an impact in his ward.

DR GLENVILLE D D’MELLO, St Edmunds & Milford Ward Salisbury

  • It is little wonder that Salisbury (or “south Wiltshire” as it is dismissively referred to by Wiltshire Council) gets such a poor deal from Wiltshire Council .

The parking charge debacle and imposition of fortnightly bin collections are prime examples of the county council’s wilful disregard for our city, which is arguably the only jewel in its crown.

I was appalled to read of the abysmally lethargic performance of some of our locally elected members, who seemingly can’t even be bothered to turn up to represent their constituents and the interests of our city at council meetings. Even more unacceptable were the pathetically lame excuses offered by Cllr’s Sample and Rogers for their respective failures to show up. Not even the humility to apologise or endeavour to do better, they seemed to think their actions were perfectly reasonable. If they don’t show an interest, why should Trowbridge?

Little wonder, too, that turnout rates at local elections tend to be so low. If they don’t turn up to engage, why on earth should we?

KATE RANDALL, Salisbury

  • Paul Sample should consider whether he is serving those he represents well enough (Journal, July 19).

While it is said that if you want a job done give it to a busy man, one should beware if that person is spreading himself too thinly.

MICHAEL GLOVER, Dinton