A leading SNP Councillor in speaking in Thursday’s budget debate on Aberdeenshire Council was described as having “shockingly low levels of understanding” in dealing with the Council budget.
Democratic Independent Councillor Paul Johnston said:
“To help prevent painful budget cuts there was no suggestion of spending less on roads repairs – no cuts in roads spending. But part of the spend could be paid from a capital budget rather than direct from a revenue budget – it was about managing our money better.
“Cllr Merson (SNP – Ellon) and Councillor Webster (Con – Mid Deeside) seriously suggested that this was a cut. They have failed to understand a basic principle in local government finance between Capital and revenue.
“It is a serious indictment on the Council that people who hold responsible positions should fail to grasp this – and so obviously in public.”
Both Councillors had spoken in the budget debate and made the comment in an attempt to attack the Democratic Independent Councillor’s proposals, launching sarcastic attacks on the Democratic Independent Councillors.
Councillor Johnston said: “ Our proposals and my speech made no attacks on either grouping, saying we all had difficult decisions in the budget. To be the target for sarcastic attacks is not new to me, but it has become common currency amongst some on Aberdeenshire – however, what was shocking in this case is how they could have got their information so drastically wrong”
The Democratic Independent Group agreed to keep spending on Roads maintenance as high priority without reduction. However, proposed that some anticipated larger spending items be treated as capital spend this financial year and subject to prudential borrowing to allow time for savings to be found in subsequent budgets as part of a spend to save plan proposed. Capital expenditure can be made by the Council under prudential borrowing where the Council is borrowing to allow savings in future years.
