Following recent incidents where Councillors have made, what some residents consider to be ill-advised comments on social media, Ross-on-Wye Town Council will be considering a Social Media Policy in September.

This matter is on the agenda for the next full Council meeting on September 12th, as there is not a meeting in August.

The Social Media Policy will be a voluntary code of conduct designed to give Councillors guidance, and a framework to use when creating their own posts on social media, or responding to other peoples’.

One of the issues which has been raised is the distinction between comments made personally and comments made by people as Councillors; and then of course there needs to be a distinction between Councillors responding as an individual Councillor or as a represetative for the full Town Council.

The Ross Gazette is aware of several social media posts made recently which sparked a torrent of comments from local residents.

The Gazette has received several letters referring to the issue but as they have been sent anonymously, and as the original posts were made on an individual’s Facebook page, rather than the Ross Gazette’s own page, and after taking advice, the editor has decided not to publish them.

However, the overwhelming message seems to be that there is a great appetite for hearing news from the Town Council. Members of the public want to be kept informed about what their councillors are doing.

A new policy may be the best way to ensure this is carried out to the high standards expected of those in public office.