The battle for the council budget begins

Argyll and Bute Councillors have endorsed a raft of ‘management savings’ at Argyll and Bute Council after heated exchanges between administration and opposition members.

At one point council leader Aileen Morton and Provost Len Scoullar intervened to prevent a political spat and to move to a vote at this month’s full meeting of Argyll and Bute Council.

The motion to recommend that the council endorse the identified savings won by 15 votes to 11 after a show of hands was rejected in favour of a roll call.

But any final say on savings is not likely to be made for another four months. This decision to endorse a series of savings which do not have an impact on staff numbers was made and councillors also voted in favour of a public consultation seeking council taxpayers’ views on service priorities, which will be launched shortly and run until early December.

Councillor Sandy Taylor, SNP group leader, tried to get the wording changed to read that councillors noted the proposed service cuts, instead of endorsing them, but his amendment was defeated by 15 votes to 11.

School crossing patrols and pupil support hours in primary schools are all among the potential policy options where spending could be cut, as revealed by the council the previous week. The price of burials, cremations and parking may also rise.

No decisions have been taken on what services, if any, will be cut; the council will do this in February when the budget is set.