Attracting the right councillors.

(From Aberdeen Press & Journal (UK))

The spectacle of councillors lining up to grab handouts of up to GBP20,000 each just to stand down from the job might anger many taxpayers, who will view it as another example of elected representatives enjoying the gravy train at their expense.

Rightly or wrongly, many observers take a dim view of the antics of many local authorities and their elected members and wonder if they are actually worth what they take out of the public purse.

But that's the nub of it - you get what you are prepared to pay for.

In the past, councillors were expected to give up their own time for not much in the way of …