Council under fire over cost of filing system

A Dundee councillor has criticised the local authority’s decision to spend more than £700,000 on a new electronic filing system.

The corporate electronic management system will be used in Dundee City Council’s proposed new headquarters in the city’s North Lindsay Street.

Last night, Liberal Democrat group leader Fraser Macpherson said he was “gravely concerned” about the spend, which he claims was approved without the consent of all council group leaders.

He also voiced his concerns over the “tremendous amount” of money spent on the cost of the new system, a total of £738,000.

The West End councillor said: “Public services come first. The council should not be spending more than £700,000 without being absolutely sure it is money well spent and will provide storage savings that justify the expenditure. I am deeply sceptical about this.

“When the decision was taken earlier in the summer at the council’s recess committee to go out to tender for this electronic management system, I expressed concern at the possible cost and said that it was vital that councillors were given a full report to show the rationale for such a high expenditure on what is essentially an electronic filing system.

“I was given assurances at the time that a full report would be forthcoming – but this has failed to happen.”

Mr Macpherson is due to meet with the chief executive of the policy and resources committee, David Dorward, and Mike Galloway, director of city and development, to discuss his concerns and see details of the system.