Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
25
May 2022
Harrogate council chief scolds councillor for calling influencer a 'waste of money'
A leaked email reveals Harrogate Borough Council chief executive Wallace Sampson gave a councillor a dressing down after he said spending £700 on a social media influencer to promote the town was an "appalling waste of money".
The Stray Ferret has obtained an email Mr Sampson sent to the Liberal Democrat councillor for New Park, Matthew Webber, in February.
In the email, Mr Sampson claimed the councillor's comments, published on this website, caused a "great deal of hurt" to council staff.
However, Cllr Webber said the tone of Mr Sampson's 500-word email was "laughable" and compared it to a schoolteacher telling off a child for being naughty.
Cllr Webber said:
Value for money?
The Stray Ferret revealed in January that Harrogate Borough Council paid Heather Cowper from Bristol £700 to promote the town’s Christmas Fayre in a blog — which only received two likes when posted on Facebook, including one from the council itself.
Her posts performed slightly better on Instagram but the investment raised questions over whether the fee represented good value for money to council tax payers.
Cllr Webber, who sits on the council’s audit and governance committee that scrutinises council spending, said the council should have used local residents to promote the town instead.
Cllr Matthew Webber
He said in January:
Read more:
- Harrogate council paid social media influencer £700 to promote town
- ‘Waste of money!’: Harrogate council criticised for spending £700 on social media influencer
A telling off
The email from Mr Sampson to Cllr Webber was sent in February this year.
Mr Sampson also copied in local Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Pat Marsh as well as council employees Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre and communications officer James Sherwood.
Mr Sampson's email said "I don't expect an apology from you" but warned that negative comments about the council in the press can "undermine morale and motivation of our hardworking staff".
The email says:
The full email is below.
The email from Wallace Sampson to Cllr Webber
Free to comment
Cllr Webber said he was "surprised" to receive the email from Mr Sampson regarding his comments about the £700 spend on a social media influencer, which he said he stood by.
He said councillors should be free to comment on how the council spends the public's money without interference from the chief executive.
The Stray Ferret asked Mr Sampson for a comment but did not receive a response.
0