Councillors recommend £81m OIC budget

The OIC’s policy and resources committee has recommended that the council’s budget for 2014-15 should be £81 million.

At the meeting this afternoon, councillors also recommended:

• To reduce spending by £840,000 in the year ahead.
• To achieve this through efficiency measures, with cuts to council services avoided wherever possible.
• To freeze Council Tax levels for the seventh year running, with the Band D rate continuing to be £1,037. This in line with an agreement between the Scottish Government and Scotland’s 32 Local Authorities.
• A 1% increase in funding support for the voluntary sector for the fourth year running.
• That charges for council services should increase by at least 3% in 2013-14 with the exception of fees for residential and home care, planning applications and building warrants, and licensing.

The measures recommended by the committee would result in a reduction of the equivalent of five full-time posts. According to the council,  no redundancies will be required to achieve this.

The OIC’s funding support from the Scottish Government for 2014-15 is likely to be £68.7 million, broadly similar to the figure for the current financial year, which represents a cut in real terms.

Convener Steven Heddle said: “I am pleased to say that the council is in a sound financial position as we look to the year ahead.

“But we need to reduce spending during the year, with no increase in Government funding to meet factors such as inflation, rising fuel and utility costs, and an ever increasing demand for council services.

“I am hopeful that we can do this without the need for cuts, as our overriding aim is to continue providing the best possible services for people and communities across the county.”

The recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee will now be considered by a General Meeting of the full council later this month.