Council defends £1m underspend as 'good practice'
The authority had come in under budget last year despite embarking on a brutal multi-million pound austerity programme targeting jobs, services to the vulnerable and funding to charities.
Members of the ruling executive said that given the worsening state of the global economy the council did well to save any kind of money which could be used in the coming years.
The financial executive spokesman, Alan Law (Con, Basildon) said the council would be equally criticised for overspending in the current climate.
Political historians were in for a treat as Liberal Democrat councillors Keith Woodhams (Thatcham West) and Alan Macro (Theale) accused the council of a false economy in cutting roads and children and young people budgets.
Echoing former American President Harry Truman’s address to Congress in 1952 they claimed the council would end up paying dearly in the long run for slashing early intervention schemes and highways maintenance.
The opposition finance spokesman David Rendel (Thatcham Central) said the council had needlessly cut jobs and piled misery on residents by stockpiling the cash, and accused the Conservatives of attempting to hide the underspend by using some of the money to plug gaps in the current financial year.
A retort straight from the mouth of another former American president, George H. W. Bush, followed as Mr Law branded Mr Rendel’s criticisms “voodoo economics” following bitter exchanges between members.
He said the council had shown great prudence in achieving the considerable saving.
The council is in the middle of a £25m austerity programme following cuts in funding from central Government reduction and has targeted services for the vulnerable, axed jobs and slashed the budgets of every department it runs, from roads to waste, in a bid to save money.
It will likely have to embark on another cuts programme in the next financial year.
The report showed how some of the money saved last year would go into this year’s budget.
A fall in parking income caused by delays in bringing in new Sunday and evening charges will be topped up with £64,000.
The costs associated with carrying the Olympic flame through the district - £20,000 - will be covered, as will the extra £13,000 applied to business rates due to the successful Newbury Business Improvement District vote.
A lump sum of £150,000 will also be set aside to cover bad debt as a result of the recession, and £279,000 will shore up a hole left by planning income fees.
A REPORT which showed West Berkshire Council underspent by £1m last year was commended by the council’s executive last night (Thursday) amid acrimonious scenes.
The authority had come in under budget last year despite embarking on a brutal multi-million pound austerity programme targeting jobs, services to the vulnerable and funding to charities.
Members of the ruling executive said that given the worsening state of the global economy the council did well to save any kind of money which could be used in the coming years.
The financial executive spokesman, Alan Law (Con, Basildon) said the council would be equally criticised for overspending in the current climate.
Political historians were in for a treat as Liberal Democrat councillors Keith Woodhams (Thatcham West) and Alan Macro (Theale) accused the council of a false economy in cutting roads and children and young people budgets.
Echoing former American President Harry Truman’s address to Congress in 1952 they claimed the council would end up paying dearly in the long run for slashing early intervention schemes and highways maintenance.
The opposition finance spokesman David Rendel (Thatcham Central) said the council had needlessly cut jobs and piled misery on residents by stockpiling the cash, and accused the Conservatives of attempting to hide the underspend by using some of the money to plug gaps in the current financial year.
A retort straight from the mouth of another former American president, George H. W. Bush, followed as Mr Law branded Mr Rendel’s criticisms “voodoo economics” following bitter exchanges between members.
He said the council had shown great prudence in achieving the considerable saving.
The council is in the middle of a £25m austerity programme following cuts in funding from central Government reduction and has targeted services for the vulnerable, axed jobs and slashed the budgets of every department it runs, from roads to waste, in a bid to save money.
It will likely have to embark on another cuts programme in the next financial year.
The report showed how some of the money saved last year would go into this year’s budget,
A fall in parking income caused by delays in bringing in new Sunday and evening charges will be topped up with £64,000.
The costs associated with carrying the Olympic flame through the district - £20,000 - will be covered, as will the extra £13,000 applied to business rates due to the successful Newbury Business Improvement District vote.
A lump sum of £150,000 will also be set aside to cover bad debt as a result of the recession, and £279,000 will shore up a hole left by planning income fees.
ENDS ENDS