Praise given for council’s budget
Administration delivered fiscal reality
When people talk about balancing a budget, the world “balancing” didn’t just get there by accident.
Walking a financial tightrope has largely the same consequences as a circus act – get it wrong and the fall can be anything from considerable to critical.
As a small businessman, I’ve got first hand experience of equating what cash comes into one hand and goes out with the other.
It’s quite an undertaking . . . and I’m juggling kegs of Carlsberg and bottles of Budweiser!
Given that South Ayrshire Council’s “business” is 1000 times bigger than mine– and involves everything from paper clips to primary schools – “balancing” the books is a considerable achievement.
SAC don’t get everything right . . . and I’m not saying everything is right with their 2020/ 21 budget either.
But given the circumstances and financial restraints, it hasn’t got this one too badly wrong.
To bring home a stable set of accounts and financial forecasts for the third year running is worth some recognition.
And as most if you will know – I don’t recognise SAC lightly!
I can hardly compliment a budget that puts up the price of school meals or racks up council tax to its exact percentage point legal limit.
And there are dozens more cuts, slashes – and price increases – that I’m still wading my way through.
There will be dismay and even some anger as their effects trickle their way down to the classroom or office floor.
Perhaps the flaws in this budget will flush themselves out in the months ahead.
But for the moment, I think SAC has delivered fiscal reality – the reasonable mixed in fair measure with the inevitable and unavoidable.
However, that hasn’t stopped some alarm bells ringing.
The now infamous £ 2.2 million gathered in illegal VAT – mostly from sports - is to be dispersed back into sporting and leisure facilities.
Er . . . that is . . . with the exception of £ 315,000 - “to be held for future investment in sporting and leisure related issues that arise”.
And guess what is “arising” soon? Yes . . it’s that Golf Academy to be planted on Seafield golf course against the will of . . er . . . just about everybody except SAC!
If this is SAC’s “back door” of “not spending any additional funding on a golf academy” – it will be slammed back in their face.
And while on that subject, I wonder where Councillor Brian Connolly’s “golf in South Ayrshire is dying” comment sits with his approval of jacking up season tickets and green fees by up to three times the annual rate of inflation?
After an initial glance – it’s hard to see where any skeletons are hidden in this financial closet.
But some buzz words that aren’t jumping out at me are “Ayr on”, “Kyle Day Centre”, “Riverside Place” and even . . . yes . . . “Coronavirus”.
If costs associated with any of the above are hidden away in the General Services Revenue
Budget, the Health and Social Care Partnership or the Capital Investment Programme – then my apologies.
This is - on the whole - not a bad budget.
But just how good it is will depend on its application by SAC - and its implementation by everyone from social services to school cleaners.
This is on the whole not a bad budget. Just how good it is depends on its application. ”