Published on:
15
January 2013
Clackmannanshire Council will soon be facing some extremely difficult and "challenging" decisions in setting the 2013/14 budget.
This Friday, 18th January, sees the deadline for the public to have their views heard as the open online consultation on the budget comes to an end.
An open online consultation via ClacksWeb on the broad range of options, submitted by officers, has been running since 20th December and thanks are due to the many people who have already submitted comments on a wide range of various proposals.
The Council is keen to encourage as many people as possible to come forward with their views before this Friday's deadline. All views will be taken into account, before the Council sets its budget at a Special Meeting in the near future. E-mail: budgetconsultation@clacks.gov.uk
Anyone who would prefer a paper copy can call the Contact Centre on 450000 and one will be posted out. We are also happy to receive written representations. You can write to: Clackmannanshire Council, Budget Consultation, Room 50, Lime Tree House, North Castle Street, Alloa, FK10 1EX.
In the latest settlement round, when compared with other Scottish councils, Clackmannanshire fared relatively well.
This however, still results a significant real terms reduction in funding over the period and the need to find £7.086 million of savings for 2013/14 to allow the Council to set a balanced budget.
Council Leader, Councillor Gary Womersley said: "This position presents an unprecedented level of challenge when considered alongside the £9.3 million of budget savings already made by the Council in the last two years alone. It is imperative that the Council focuses its attention on setting a balanced budget for 2013/14."
"There is no doubt that the budget setting process for 2013/14 will be extremely challenging. The Council is facing some extremely difficult decisions. In the run up to setting the budget, this Administration remains committed to its principles of transparency and openness."
Whichever options, proposed by officers, are taken forward in the budget setting process, the Council remains committed to working with those affected by the changes to find the most effective and equitable way of implementing the changes.
Overall the UK Budget, and consequently the Scottish Budget, is set to project a real terms reduction for eight consecutive years from its peak in 2009/10 through to 2017/18.
The ongoing reduction in the level of resource available to the public sector comes at the same time as a range of new responsibilities are being passed to local government to administer, most notably the range of proposed welfare reforms.
Councillor Womersley added: "The funding for the cost of implementing these new reforms, including new computer systems, is not clear in some cases, and in other cases falls substantially short of the actual costs of implementing the changes.
"For this reason, it is clear that the Council needs to make a change in its approach for future years if it is going to establish a sustainable cost base. Proposals by officers has given us a wide range of options to consider."