Published on:
20
February 2003
Clackmannanshire set its budget for 2003/04 at a full council meeting last night (19 Feb) which was described by Council Leader Keith Brown as "a good budget for the people of Clackmannanshire'.
At the meeting the Council announced a £1.75% increase in council tax - an all time low - and a 2.8% increase in current rent levels. This means that tax payers can expect to pay an extra 33p a week (based on Band D homes) and an average weekly increase of £1.14 in rent levels.
The Council has a budget of £78 million for 2003/2004 to maintain service provision and allow for growth. This includes a deficit of around £2 million which has been bridged by a combination of a rise in Council Tax and a package of savings and efficiency measures.
Council Leader Keith Brown said: "The budget for next year represents a good deal for the people of Clackmannanshire despite another appalling settlement from central government. The local government settlement described as a 'bonanza year for local authorities' has in real terms left us with the task of finding half a million pounds to maintain service provision. So what started of as a £5.8million increase turned into a £500k black hole.
"Each year the government announces an increase in local authority settlements. But as one hand gives the other hand effectively takes away. We are forced to take on new burdens and responsibilities without proper funding so central government's own priorities and initiatives are funded. Local responsibility for budget decisions is becoming a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the books can only be balanced by reductions in the Council's core services.
"Despite this we have still been able to announce a good deal for the people of Clackmannanshire."
Savings totalling £1.8 million have been made across the board. Growth items totalling £866,000 were approved at the full council meeting.
Of that, more than half a million pounds was awarded to Services to People - which provides vital services to some of the most vulnerable members of the community. Growth items include:·£25,000 for primary schools and free holiday swimming programmes·£140,000 extra for transport for children and young people with special education needs and social work transport
Growth items totalling £279,000 were also approved for Development and Environmental Services.This includes:·£79,500 for waste management initiatives·£30,000 to continue with the Stirling/Alloa/Kincardine Rail Project·£20,000 for new technology
Chief Executives Services was awarded £83,000 to take forward the job evaluation exercise.
Keir Bloomer, Chief Executive said: "Yet again our grant settlement from the Government has fallen a long way short of what we actually need to maintain public services. It would be wrong to say that we didn't get more money. We did but this and more has been eaten up by increased burdens placed upon us by the government. Increased demand for community care, increases in superannuation and national insurance, national pay awards including McCrone and the cost of inflation has not been taken into account
"At least on this occasion we have been able to hold down levels of council tax and rent increase thus not placing the burden on local tax payers."