Councillors urged to find ways to cut costs

Jamie MacDonald • Published 2 Dec 2009 10:23 12 Comments

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CLACKMANNANSHIRE Council held a special meeting on Monday morning to address the financial problems facing the authority.

With a £9 million hole gaping in the budget for 2010/11 councillors were brought up to speed with planned cuts and invited to put their thinking caps on to suggest more savings.

Spending cuts now earmarked for the coming financial year total £6.76 million, leaving the local authority searching for £2.3 million to balance the books - a legal necessity.

Speaking at the meeting, council leader Janet Cadenhead said no details of the council's position were being hidden and people were being made aware of the full extent of the problem

She added, "I am not going to down play how serious and worrying the £9 million is.

"This is a test, not just for the administration but for all of the council to work together for the best interests of Clackmannanshire."

Potential cuts suggested to councillors that would address over two thirds of the shortfall include:

- Consolidating the various different payroll arrangements of council staff into one, such as changing those employees on fortnightly pay to every four weeks and reverting from pay in advance to arrears.

- A two per cent efficiency saving on all net budgets.

- With the exception of teaching staff a drop in previously anticipated pay increases for council staff.

- It was previously anticipated that all council posts would be filled continuously throughout the year. An average staff turnover of eight per cent and the subsequent job gap and pay savings whilst recruiting a replacement will be budgeted for next year.

- Not committing £1 million to reserve funds as previously agreed.

SNP councillors Donald Balsillie and Mark English compared the position of Clackmannanshire to that of Aberdeen Council, which has had to endure massive cuts across the board to address a crippling shortfall in its budget.

Mr Balsillie said, "To a small council such as this the levels of percent to be cut is equivalent or greater than Aberdeen, which highlights the scale of what we are dealing with."

Since the current SNP-led Scottish Government took its place at Holyrood there has been no rise in council tax levels across Clackmannanshire.

A rise of 11 per cent would be required to balance the books for the coming year.

At the meeting, councillors unanimously agreed to set aside 11 February 2010 as the day where a decision on this year's council tax settlement and the final budget for the financial year ahead would be finalised.

Speaking after the meeting, chief executive Angela Leitch said, "While our budget position is challenging, I am confident that we will be able to present a balanced budget in February.

"The shortfall is something that we would always have had to face, although we are now having to put savings in place over a shorter period of time than I would have liked.

"I would also like to reassure residents that in the main it will be business as usual going forward.

"We have a dedicated team of senior managers, ably supported by our accountants, who are united in presenting solutions that will see essential services continue to be effectively provided."

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bob
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Dec 2, 18:09
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I would also like to reassure residents that in the main it will be business as usual going forward. We have a dedicated team of senior managers, ably supported by our accountants, who are united in presenting solutions that will see essential services continue to be effectively provided.

Aye right it will be aw the staff that are no senior managers, ably supported by yir accountants that will have to pay for this.

here is a suggestion why dont you stop paying consultants fir yer fancy pet projects so that yir cv will look gid and agency staff and figure out whit that will save ye rather than takin it oot yir loyal staff! sorry residents.

ah bet she disnae stay in clacks an understand how this will affect the comunity. maist o the staff live and breath in clacks. nae money nae shops

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 3, 01:25
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Yon staff turnover saving that they are own aboot is an interestin yin. If they huvnae been budgetin fur it it previous years then we kin only assume that it's been used tae offset owerspends in the past. Will that jist mean bigger owerspends kin be expected next year?

Payroll savings as well - that tae me says payroll admin staff cuts however ye dress it up. Might be a legit saving bit nae point in pittin a spin own it. If there's job cuts own the way then the neeburs should ken aboot it.

Also, ah ken yon teachers dae a grand job bit it annoys me when they are treated differently tae the rest of the cooncil staff. Why should yon bin gadgie graftin away liftin ma heavy wheely bin, the wifey that serves lunches tae ma weans at school, the folk in the library that ah get ma books fae, be treated differently fae the teachers? If theres changes tae wages so that they kin balance the budget then treat AW the cooncil staff the same.

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Greg Arius
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Dec 3, 09:28
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The theme to a well known insurance advert springs to mind.." There may be trouble ahead"..Will they face the music though? Dinnae think so- watch the big cooncils, Edinburgh, Weege and South Lanarkshire for what is to come an it's no bonny.

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Ralph
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Dec 5, 12:26
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Are the Councillors also taking a hit? bear in mind, they are now salaried and pensioned, a fact that often goes unnoticed! For example, the leader of the council, janet Cadenhead, is paid over £30k a year for what is in reality a part-time job. Is her salary paid pro-rata, you must be kidding! Our local Councillor Earle is another one, part time Councillor, full-time benefit recipient!!! Scandalous.

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 6, 00:14
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That's a gid point Ralph. As loads of hard workin cooncil workers found oot today that they are in line fur a massive pay cut under yon new "single status" pay structure, ah wonder whether the cooncilors have been regraded also.... ah doubt it. One of ma in-laws is a pretty low paid admin worker and they ur goin doon a grade and loosin a few grand a year - she's in tears after getting a letter today aboot it all. She has weans tae feed like the rest of us. The bloke that lives a couple of doors doon fae me also works fur the cooncil and he's taken a hit tae - hes given years of hard workin graft fur the cooncil and this is the thanks he gets.... felt sorry fur him. Ah wonder whether this is a stealth saving that the cooncil have slipped through - make more folk loosers rather than winners in the new pay structure and bank some savings fur future years.

Again, yon teachers aren't hit by yon new pay structure as they're untouchable as aways, cause they dae such a crackin job in makin oor education in the Wee Coonty second tae none....sorry, second tae everyone ah meant.

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Gerry Shott
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Dec 8, 13:28
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I heard about this new pay structure also Jimmy from my cousin as he works for the Council. He is set to lose the best part of £7000, after over 10 years of service. He is a member of Unison and hasn't seen anything from them about the new structure being voted on or accepted. As I understand it, the Unions would normally expect to see the full picture so that they can approve it as being reasonable. It would certainly be interesting to see where people have gained out of this. Especially as a quick search of the Council's own website shows that at the Special Meeting of 30th November 2009, they are projecting a saving of £800,000 for 2010/11 in relation to this single status.

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Maggie O
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Dec 8, 23:57
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Come on Gerry £7000, surly a bit o an exaggeration, a wid hate tae see whit ye caw 6 inches.

Ma laddie works at the cooncil and he says the odd person is going tae lose a few grand but their on big bucks. Yir average punter is only goin doon a few hundred, which a ken is no whit ony wan wants, especially at this time a year.

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Gerry Shott
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Dec 9, 12:35
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Yes, very good "Maggie O" - well done on following the party line there. Just a fraction under £7000 - FACT. I also hear of others losing several thousands which would seem to be in conflict with your propaganda line, especially as they are low paid - FACT. How do you explain the £800,000 saving they are now making in 2010/11, or do the powers that be not want you... sorry your "laddie"... to speak about that? Typical Council whitewash once again.

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Maggie O
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Dec 12, 01:02
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In reply Gerry, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have spoken to ma laddie and he knows the guy that you are talking about as it appears that this boy has told everyone in the Cooncil that he is going to lose about £7000.

I would like to take issue with you over your party politics statement. Be assured that I support no political party as I find them all morally corrupt. I am wearing my Clackmannanshire, Council Tax payers hat here and I want and expect staff to provide a good efficient service for a reasonable and fair wage.

I have to admit that you were factually correct regarding the £7000 but as usual there is a story behind this claim.

1. As I said before, the guy earns big bucks, about £35,000.

2. He will only drop down a fraction of the £7000 after 3 years as his salary is protected and he knowns this.

3. Most worrying is the fact that there are two other employees doing exactly the same job as this boy but they are being paid about £10,000 less and will actually get an increase due to Single Status. If this is not an inequality that needs to be sorted I do not know what is.

4. If this boy is so worried that he has been hard done by, he has 3 years to find another job, but I doubt if he will as he knows when he is well off, with more job security and perks than the normal man in the street.

Sorry Gerry bu****hink that you have fallen hook line and sinker for an alledged hard luck story.

If you had read the Councils explanation correctly you would know that the proposed £800,000 saving the Council plans to make in 2010/11 is not a cut in salaries but is due to the change in arrangements for paying Council workers as they will be paid in arrears rather than in advance. In all my years working I have never worked for an employer who paid you for days you still had to work. No wonder this Council is going to the dogs.

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Gerry Shott
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Dec 14, 01:26
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Godness Maggie O, your "laddie" certainly seems to be very well informed. However it must be some other poor council worker that you're on about because my cousin earns a whole lot less than this mystical 35 grand you're on about... he wishes!!!!! As a point of interest, my cousin doesn't share my surname (in case you're targeting some poor individual called Mr Shott that works for your employers).

When I said party line, I meant whatever your line manager, head of service etc told you to say!

Have a wee read again at the special council meeting report as written by your very own chief executive - "Officers have been working towards a target of implementing the single status

agreement prior to the start of the next financial year. The costs of

implementation of single status over three years are being updated in relation tornthe funding strategy which is composed of a specific budget provision enhanced

by the phased use of an earmarked reserve. Further work is required torndetermine the implications for the budget over the next three years but at this

stage a saving in year 1 (2010/11) of £0.8M has been assumed."

So where, in that quote from the official report to councillors, does it say that the £800k relates to a change in pay from advance to arrears? Admittedly though I don't have the insider knowledge that you seem to be privy to.... through your "laddie".

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Jimmy Neebur
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Dec 14, 17:31
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"paid in arrears rather than in advance"

That widnae make a budget savin cause yon finance heid yins wid adjust fur the effect of that at the end of the cooncil year sae that only 12 months of pay is through regardles of when it is payed. Accrewals an prepaidments ah think they cry it. Even ah ken that fae keepin ma accoonts right fur ma business.

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******
Dec 15, 00:04
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red
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Jan 18, 17:37
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Maggie O

see http://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/councilnews/articles/2010/01/05/395639-council-workers-refuse-to-sign-new-pay-agreement/

think you are living in another world to the rest of the councillor workforce

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