Aberdeenshire Council today set its budget amid a lively debate with challenges to both Administration and other opposition Councillors in their proposals from all five Democratic Independent Group Councillors
The leader of the Democratic Independent Councillors suggested that the Lib Dem led Administration could take some comfort from a reasonable final out-turn to the previous years budget having had a rough year. But there were huge problems ahead.
Councillor Paul Johnston said:
“Firstly, we note that last year’s budget is not far from that bottom line projection. While as usual staff must take credit for their guidance, some of it is also the responsibility of the political leadership of the Council.
“As a Council we have generally been pretty good at being close to the bottom line.
However, … Just avoiding overspending is not the only measure we should call success.
The Councillor said that he and colleagues had made suggestions last year which would still have left the Council in a slightly better position, being more prepared for the tough financial circumstances that the authority now finds itself in.
“The proposals (last year) were constructive in that they sought expenditure that was one off, made a difference or saved money- importantly – for a coming budget.”
“Its in the last year we can judge how the Council has performed buy how ready we are to meet the current situation. We note that the report, the budget briefing papers and the 4.449 million pounds suggests we were not. “
“We have not detected the moves needed in the last year to prepare the Council for the hard times we knew were coming last February”.
Councillor Johnston asked the Council to consider proposals that were not in conflict with the other groups, proposals, but were designed to give room for spend to save measures, restructuring and time to find phase in, or mitigate savings the Council will inevitably had to make.
“The proposals being made are not meant to oppose the administration. They are our contribution to a collective debate on the direction we can take. One could adopt these without any difficulty, perhaps without any major upset to political priorities. Yet it still balances a budget.”
Paul Johnston agreed the general need for the Council to follow its strategic priorities but that it had to meet its commitments to do this in a sustainable and sensitive manner through realistic changes. He highlighted spend to save proposals.
But he suggested there were some tough choices and proposed one that was difficult but was preferable to cuts elsewhere.
“We have proposals that suggest we plug up the leaking sink of resources that has become Archeolink. Its a great place – but its one we can’t afford and we have not made it a success. Someone else needs to try, the Council can’t subsidise it any further”
Democratic Independent Councillors, he said would show commitment to the wider staff by suggesting both senior officers and Councillors bear the burden of pay restraint and cuts with both salary freeze and the removal of some special responsibility allowances to Councillors.
“We urge other savings – moving some revenue spending to prudential borrowing which allows the essential works for schools and roads to continue, but buys time for restructuring”
Councillor Johnston outlined that all the proposals that were tabled today were only ‘nascent’ and had the distinct risk of not being achieved. He suggested they were not fully worked up and that such risks can be managed better by adopting the Democratic Independent proposals which were fully financially worked through. There remained big risks such as the general economic climate, he told Councillors.
“One area of ‘risk’ we all felt that could severely impact on the Council budget is the uncertainty of the outcome of a general election. “
Councillor Johnston suggested the Council was judged not on just being close to the final predicted budget figure but would be judged on if it was ready in one years time for the challenges ahead. He suggested that any light in the tunnel is certain now a train coming in the opposite direction.
“The yardstick which the administration of the Council will be judged is not the single bottom line again in the coming year but how prepared it will be for the problems that lie further ahead, next year and next and next…”
Councillor Johnston finished with distinctive proposals for the Council to change its working methods to arrive at a budget. He suggested that future budget proposals should be done on an all party basis and not only by the Administration group of Councillors. A method he described as “Tribal”
“… the process of setting the budget in the current climate should be a Council wide activity and not something tribal and partisan.”
“We have sought both last year and this year to be constructive in making improving amendments to budgets rather than being oppositionist and now we ask for the opening up of the budget policy steering group to all party and group participation.”
“Its not going to be pleasant out there and it would be better for the Council to be brought into a transparent all member system than indulge in tribal warfare as can so easily happen.”
The issue of future revenue commitments, that were un-quantified was raised. Councillor Johnston suggested that an open ended commitment to fund the WPR should be revisited and that future revenue provision should be dropped.
“ We cannot afford it It was from a time when we knew the cost and that it was part of a wider strategy. It is stand alone and un-costed now – so its too risky to commit to cuts in other vital services just to pay for this project which may never deliver. It is the Scottish Government’s responsibility – let hem take that up fully – and not leave us with uncaped financial commitments”
