Labour councillor slams budget cuts

WARRINGTON Borough Council has approved a £439 million budget for the coming year – and a 1.98 per cent increase in council tax.
But one Labour councillor opposed the £14 million of savings required – and expects to be disciplined or expelled from the controlling Labour group.
Cllr Kevin Bennett said: “I have expressed my views on what I believe to be the views of many people, on having to implement cuts which are not of our making.
“It is wrong that we should be in the firing line when all of this is a result of vicious funding cuts by this Tory led coalition government”.
In real terms Warrington’s reduction in funding from the government stands at 9.9 per cent, which equates to a £7.8 million reduction – or £30 for every man, woman and child in the town.
The borough is now the fifth lowest funded of the 91 metropolitan and unitary authorities in England, when council tax levels are included.
It will receive £1,739 per household compared to Manchester’s £2,502 and Liverpool’s £2,623.
The council areas for savings include the redesign and restructuring of some teams and the deletion of many of the currently vacant posts across the council. Increasing charges for services will bring in further income to address the deficit as will closer working with partners and other councils to share services and staff.
Cllr Russ Bowden, executive member for corporate resources, who oversaw the budget setting process, said: “In setting this budget we have tried to make as many of the necessary savings as possible through stamping out inefficiencies, reorganising services, using our buying power to secure better deals and by generating more income.
“However, the reality is we have done much of this already and this was a very challenging process for elected members and officers alike. The continuing cuts from government are hitting the town hard, but we’re absolutely determined to deliver financial stability, investment opportunities and growth wherever possible.”
The council tax increase equates to £22.50 per year or 43p per week for a band D property.
Cllr Bowden said: “The decision to raise council tax was not an easy one for us to make but we felt strongly that accepting the relatively small incentive on offer not to do so would result in a short-term gain for long-term pain. With challenges such as increased demand for our services and continuing economic uncertainty it’s vital we make decisions in the long term interest of the borough.”
Cllr Bennett said it was beyond him how the council could make £30.1 million of additional savings over the next four years.
He said the council should safeguard jobs and services for the next 12 months by using reserves and borrowing. This would buy time to build a fight-back against government. But the executive members and portfolio holders were refusing to even consider this option.
“This budget has been member-led’ – well maybe by a selected few. But the Labour councillors that I have spoken to tell me that they have not been asked for their input.
“I was only given one chance to address my concerns, after scrutinising the draft budget document. I tried to put my alternatives forward to the Labour Group, the deputy chair, Cllr David Keane, shut me down and wouldn’t allow me to finish what I was saying. I’m afraid that democracy and free speech has ‘died a death’ within the Labour Group,
“But as an elected member and a representative of the people of Fairfield and Howley I demand to be heard.
“All I hear is the same mantra – ‘there’s nothing else we can do’ – but there are alternatives out there and I would have loved the opportunity to discuss these within the confines of my Labour Group. But sadly they don’t want to listen.
“I don’t believe we should increase council tax, which will only raise £1.4 million, especially when we are able to boost our reserves by £2.5 million.
“I’m all for saving money for a rainy day, but at the moment it’s pouring down out there. So why not refrain from boosting our reserves for this year and keep them at nearly £8 million for the Medium Term Financial Plan and just under £6 million in our general and strategic reserves and freeze the council tax.
“We are borrowing money for projects such as £2 million for Walton Hall and £1 million for Bank Park when we are losing jobs and looking at outsourcing services.
“When it’s a choice for some of our residents to decide whether to keep warm or eat and the added indignity of having to go to food-banks to feed their families, then I know whose side I’m on. We should be creating jobs not cutting them.
“There are other routes as well that are deemed to be an ‘acceptable budget’ and will be decided not by the views of council officials and their legal advisors, but will ultimately be decided by the growing public support against cuts.”
Cllr Bennett accused the Labour administration of acting as agents of the coalition government.
Conservative group leader Cllr Paul Kennedy, said for a number of years, savings had been made by slicing existing budgets. But he sensed this must now come to and end and be replaced by a radical re-evaluation and redesign of what services the council provided. This would not be easy.
Commenting on loans totalling £380 million to registered social landlords and the £140 million refinancing of the council’s historic pension fund deficit, Cllr Kennedy said he thought most residents would prefer a substantial investment in roads, pavements and drains.
“Major repair programmes are urgently needed and things will only get worse unless substantial investment is made now and sustained for a number of years.”
On the council tax increase, Cllr Kennedy wondered by it could not have been frozen for another year.
The council also agreed a significant capital investment programme, including a range of innovative invest-to-save schemes like the expansion of the council’s first time buyer mortgage scheme, further investment in schools, local parks and green spaces and the provision of loans to local registered social landlords to improve the quality and quantity of the housing stock.
Pictured (from the top): Cllr Kevin Bennett, Cllr Russ Bowden and Cllr Paul Kennedy.