After months of hard work tonight's budget was agreed. However, 2 chances lost to make an improvement, and I am sad to see the opportunity to keep some of our youth clubs disappear, in a desperate attempt of others not to be seen agreeing with us - even when we are right ! There is much to complain about the coalition - but it is based on moving forward on consensus, rather than mindlessly voting against everything that somebody else puts forward.
Maureen Rigg's blog has a good description, and our press release is on our website
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council tonight approved a budget for the year ending 31st March 2012, moved by the Conservatives and seconded by Labour. Two changes proposed by Liberal Democrat councilors were defeated.
Following the cuts in the Council's Budget for 2011-12 a number of youth clubs run by the Council will close soon. Liberal Democrats wanted money to be provided to keep them open for a few months to give local people a chance to find alternative ways of funding local activities for local youth. Otherwise, money spent already on good equipment for young people to use and enjoy there will go to waste.
Councillor Maureen Rigg said, "Money for this could be found from the Schools-in-Difficulty Earmarked Reserve, estimated at £460,000. We're constantly told how good this Borough's schools are, so we shouldn't need to keep this money in reserve just in case any schools fail. If the Labour Cabinet Member knows that some schools are likely to fail, she should tell councillors. Otherwise, in these days of tightening our financial belts we cannot afford to keep reserves 'just in case' while the Council is cutting jobs and services. Over and above this, the Council is keeping balances of 3% of budget to cover contingencies across all Council services."
The Liberal Democrat amendment was defeated by Labour, Conservatives and Independents combined.
She also called for an early review of councillors' allowances, last reviewed in 2008-09 before the precarious state of the economy was known, so that they were properly debated in time for 1st April 2012 (the earliest date they could now change). She said, "While councilors should be remunerated for the time they devote to serving the public, which can interfere with earning money in a day job, do we really need more than half the councilors to draw Special Responsibility Allowances too? When as councilors we are telling staff that their jobs may disappear and the public that we are cutting services, it is only right that we should be seen to be reconsidering what pay we have voted to ourselves."
This was defeated by the other parties, only the Liberal Democrats and one Independent supporting the amendment.
Maureen added, "Council Officers put a lot of hard work into this budget - a pity that councilors refused two chances to improve things further!"
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