Council Tax Budget - Hiding the facts ?
Well, the Council tax increase will be 3%, but there are serious questions as to whether the Budget and financial plan stacks up. I have made several requests for details of the expected outturn of this years expenditure against budget by cost centre (information that should be automatic in preparing the budget), but this request seems to be unclear to officers and the portfolio holder. Limited information provided,suggests an overspend of some £100,000. I can not see any allowance for around £200,000 revenue costs of the senior management review which have been agreed and the figure for government grant receivable in 2008/09 is £100,000 over the latest expectations. Thus there would appear to be a shortfall of £400,000 over the next two years on these issues alone - an additional increase in Council Tax of some 5%+ per annum unless the revenue reserves are to be spent in the same way as capital reserves.
I certainly don't like my council tax spent in this way and look forward to a change in control in the May elections to return to open and controlled spending of our money. I have given notice of my views to officers to give them chance to contradict me. The reaction so far? None.