Council’s £20m

Leader: ‘we face tough decisions on services’

EDUCATION and social care will take priority over grass-cutting and filling potholes as Dundee City Council tries to cut £20 million from its budget next year.

That was the revelation from council leader John Alexander as he sat down with the Tele to discuss the council’s spending plans for 2018/19.

Mr Alexander admitted his SNP administration faced “tough decisions” over what to prioritise in the forthcoming budget. And he said it was unlikely that anyone living in the city would not be affected by the cuts.

Speaking during a visit to meet users of Lochee Community Hub alongside finance spokesman Willie Sawers, Mr Alexander said: “We now know that we are set to lose £20m from our budget in the coming financial year. This is a huge amount of money and there are tough decisions ahead.

“This is going to prove a headache for Dundee City Council and there will be challenges to provide services. If someone asks why their back green hasn’t been cut, I will ask them: ‘what’s more important — grass being cut or education and social care services?’

“Similarly potholes may not be a top priority when we are having to make a choice between repairing them and ensuring our children receive a good education.”

Despite the challenges, Mr Alexander said he was confident the right choices would be made.

He also said that staff would have