Falkirk Council: Long term challenge to balance books as budget day looms

With an unprecedented budget deficit of £29 million, the council’s chief executive, Kenneth Lawrie, says that just managing to bridge that gap while maintaining a strong sense of direction has been an achievement in itself.

To get there, they have had to employ various measures – notably using a large chunk of reserves, changing how they repay debt and raising council tax.

As a minority administration, the SNP cannot rely on its proposals being passed on Wednesday.

But whatever the outcome, at least some of the suggested savings will have to be adopted in order to meet legal requirements.

Whether that will include drastic measures such as cutting school budgets, closing public toilets or scrapping free dog poo bags remains to be seen.

The leader of Falkirk Council, Cecil Meiklejohn, acknowledges it has been a difficult budget to do “without having any impact whatsoever”.

While they have tried hard not to cut services, the measures that have allowed this are “very much one-off”, she warned.

“We have used a huge chunk of our reserves this year which is quite unprecedented and once you’ve spent that, you can’t put it back.”

However, she added that there were projects in this year’s budget that would help the council transform the way it delivers services.

“Our transformation programme is going to be something we’re going to have to look to progress very swiftly for future years,” she said.

Mr Lawrie said he was confident that the council has a good transformation programme – but added that it is vital to do more as the council’s financial situation was not going to get any better in the years ahead.

“It’s not just about accelerating the programme, it is going to be about extending it, expanding it – driving through some of these things post-election with a new council.

“Our financial problem is not a one-year problem – it’s a long-term challenge to find a balance between all the service pressures that we face, a weakening position in terms of our budget and the need to bridge that gap.

Chief Finance Officer Bryan Smail said: “The size of the budget gap is unprecedented and I think you would have to say it’s an achievement to bring forward proposals that achieve our statutory requirement to produce a balanced budget.

“But we get over the hurdle of this year and immediately lurking in the month’s ahead is a similar challenge.”

However, on Wednesday, he will once again remind that councillors that while the cuts are a significant part of the story, the council does have a gross investment of more than half a billion pounds “being spent on services that are valuable and valued by the local communities”.

“We’d like to do more but we are fettered by the resources available to us,” he added.

There will also be cash to continue to district’s bid to move to net zero and increase jobs and investment opportunities.

Mr Lawrie also believes that the council will build on its close work with communities during the pandemic and it will continue to address problems such as poverty and poor mental health that are critical post-covid.

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