Politicians clash as county council budget is agreed
POLITICAL leaders clashed today as Conservatives gave their approval to the county council's next budget.
Shire Hall bosses have vowed to freeze council tax and maintain investment in services which help the vulnerable despite having to deal with a £20million cut in government handout in 2013/14.
However, the Liberal Democrat group leader Jeremy Hilton questioned the administration's budget, asking if the rhetoric surrounding the protection of adult social care services from cuts was nothing but 'spin'.
Cllr Hilton (Westgate, LD) asked: "Is this not just spin? Yes there will be no cuts in the adult social care budget but there will be no increase either – there is no new money."
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"You may have protected adult social care from the cuts but you have not invested any additional money," he said.
Councillor Mark Hawthorne (Moreland, C) rejected the claim and told the meeting of the cabinet in Gloucester that prioritising services for the vulnerable had only been made possible by making savings elsewhere in the council.
He said: "We have consistently said that we will try and protect the vulnerable in this county and that is something we are very proud of in that we have managed to freeze the adult social care budget.
"I wait with great anticipation to see the Liberal Democrat's own budget proposals."
The council has committed to making savings to the tune of £35million next year.
They will include £2.1million from terminating a contract with Gloucestershire Police to provide additional police officers and £1.2million from the ongoing redesign of the county's Fire and Rescue Service.
Costs will also be cut by getting rid of some job posts in different council departments.
Comments
by Councilwonk
Monday, January 07 2013, 11:43PM
“Somesetlad - No-one in local government in Gloucestershire, county or district, bosses or workers has had a pay increase for several years - wages have been frozen. Your argument just isn't true. If your claim had any truth to it, it would be dead easy to prove, because anyone can ask for the pay (now and in the past) of senior council officers, which would show the increase you claim.”
by somersetlad52
Monday, January 07 2013, 10:32PM
“Perhaps a better idea would be to get rid of two Councils and have only one thereby disposing of a few top executives in the process and making major savings?
All too often those who work on the frontline services have been diminished and made a scapegoat for lack of honesty from these County Councillors. They talk of savings being made yet in truth the top executives have been seen to manipulate their positions of office to the point of giving themselves wage rises and making sure that those positions are kept from any cuts whatsoever.
Many County council staff on the frontline services have had their pay cut yet not one executive has had the guts to say I will take a cut then this same staff have been branded by the general public for wanting to fight for their jobs !!! Then you have this editorial organisation making comments about members of staff taking time off on sick leave without due cause when in fact many are now doing the jobs of two or three staff and being told just get on with it. So come on County Councillors stand by your words and get the facts published properly and get rid of two councils and have one. Then get rid of half of the top tier as you would not need to pay vast wages for them.”