The post you are reporting:
This is my first opportunity to reply to accusations, as I have to work for a living.
Usually private text messages remain private, but in this case quite the opposite has taken place.
So let me run you through what actually happened.
On the night in question the subject of the DTC council tax rise was proposed by the Mayor, with sound reasons for the rise(although I didn't share that view) SueJones whom I understand is the Labour leader made a speech on why the labour group would reluctantly (her words) be supporting the 2% rise.
Within her speech she did say budgets they felt could be spent in a different and better way.
I actually supported the last part of labours aims, but felt with the way things are we couldn't justify a rise, and I felt if labour had an alternative view on the budgets it would be better to go for a 0% increase and then take on labours view of an alternative budget.
At this point Cllr Wallace asked me if I had an alternative budget, as labour had one(but no alternative budget was ever produced) now that was a clear move to intimidate, which was fine, but I did feel the observations by the Mayor/Cllr Jones and even the officers who gave a clear indication on affects of a 0% and 2% increase. but I didn't share.
Cllr Wallace I feel would have done better(with his group) to have produced this alternative costed budget, they didn't, yet as an individual Cllr I was supposed to?
I should remind Cllr Wallace I was also elected in Oct as a community representative, as he is of the opinion theres only labour/tory/ukip elected in the ward.
On leaving the meeting I said, I won't forget this evening, meaning his moves to undermine.
And so I sent a private text, what I didn't expect was what followed.
I got E Mails and texts from Lab/Tory/Indy cllrs asking if I had seen the E Mail Cllr Wallace had sent to a select number of cllrs, and A Burton.
Asking strangely for me to be investigated.
Obviously I had to tell them all I was unaware, then found I wasn't included in this E Mail.
So I did reply to all the select cllrs telling them it was in my opinion a private text and that I wouldn't comment further to cllrs as I felt this was a private matter, and unprofessional to do otherwise.
Nothing will stop me supporting locals in the ward and the wider community, and to this end I supported J Heron and other locals in the Town to which Cllr Wallace also attended.
It is correct to say he attempted a hand shake, but in all seriousness was I really going to shake the hand of someone who had just attempted to stitch me up with DTC.
I don't think so.
What was worse(and for legal reasons we have kept copies)what then appeared on Cllr Wallace's facebook page and stayed on there for 3 days even though Cllr had posted in these 3 days.
What followed was a number of libel comments which indicated the clarendon and westbury committee are corrupt and individual committee members.
Now of course there is no truth in any accusations, and the books are audited by qualified professional auditors at some cost to our organisation.
And it is a great shame when hard working volunteers are dragged through the mud that way, and I know the committee will not forgive those comments.
When elected last Oct I said I would work with all 3 parties on DTC and support what is best for Dover and in that short time have supported proposals from all 3 parties,
and encouraged individuals cllrs from all 3 parties to better themselves
I will continue to do so.
Hopefully this explains what was a private matter, that at no time would I have made public as since Oct I have been meeting cllrs from all 3 parties trying to find common ground, and had in the past 2weeks got a pact with Cllr Wallace where he felt I was to publicly critical of him, so I did say I would do what I could to reduce this, but with it comes partnership. but I would be criticalif that was required.
So you can understand my bafflement just 2 weeks later to find all this develop.
Could I finish by saying I have worked on a number of projects within the ward put forward by Cllr Wallace.and other cllrs.
All this leaves a sour taste, but politics is only a very small part of my life.
But I do thank all the cllrs from all 3 parties for the calls of support, it wasn't needed, but was welcome.
For me tomorrow is another day, and hopefully as Cllr Wallace has made this so public to a select few, that the replies above at least go some way to give an explanation.
This isn' t my usual way of replying but as it's been put on here, I do need to give my side, otherwise it looks very one sided
