Facing up to a year of change
I would like to open this column by wishing all readers very best wishes for the festive season.
I hope you had an excellent Christmas and that you are looking forward to an enjoyable New Year.
Here’s hoping that 2017 is good to you and those close to you.
There’s no doubt that many people are looking forward to seeing out the old year – 2016 has been a tumultuous period, both here and across the globe. What with continued austerity, the ongoing terror threat, Brexit and President-elect Trump, I think lots of people feel we have never seen a year like it before.
Certainly, this close to Hogmanay it is common to reflect on the year gone by, and I feel a mixture of emotions when I look back on the issues we have faced, and the ones I have raised in this newspaper.
Despite the bad reputation 2016 has earned, I think there has been much to be glad about in South Lanarkshire.
I started this year by telling you that the council had been able to scrap some of the proposals that had been made around our 2016/17 budget savings. There was particular relief that this included cancelling changes to school bus transport arrangements.
Later in the year I was able to share some excellent SQA exam results for local pupils – the best ever pass rates and, I think, a real justification of the resources we have invested in our schools and teachers.
I also told you about the council’s ambitious programme to build more social housing across South Lanarkshire.
In March there was also the very good news that the Scottish Steel Taskforce, which the council had hosted, had been able to help find a buyer for Lanarkshire’s last two steel plants, Clydebridge and Dalzell.
But the grim side of 2016 affected us locally too, and at other times the news was less positive.
Once again, one of the biggest challenges to the council was how to continue protecting key frontline services in the face of ongoing austerity and its impact on our income.
This process came to a head just two weeks ago, when we had the presentation of the draft Scottish Government budget at Holyrood.
Although that draft budget was dressed up as being good news for communities, a closer examination showed that the money being given to local authorities to deliver services was once again being hammered.
The bottom line was a £327m cut in money given directly to councils.
Along with every other local authority, we in South Lanarkshire are now re-evaluating our budget plans for 2017/18, and councillors will be given updated proposals to consider early in the new year.
As readers may have seen, one bit of good news is that, despite these pressures, I have confirmed that we will not raise the council tax next year.
Some people who live in higher band houses will see an increase in their bills, but this is the result of a national change brought in by the Scottish Government. The general council tax rate, which is controlled by your council, will not go up.
Finally, as I look back on 2016 and forward to 2017 I know that I am facing one big personal change, because I decided some time ago not to stand for re-election in May.
By that time I will have spent 22 years as a councillor and 18 of them as council leader.
I will miss the job. Not for its own sake or for any prestige, but simply because I enjoy working on behalf of local people and their communities.
It has been getting harder each year, with every budget cut, to make sure they get the services they need, day in day out.
Sometimes that has meant making tough decisions, but I firmly believe the council has done the best job possible to protect those services. I will keep doing exactly that until I stand down in May.
The money being given to local authorities to deliver services was once again being hammered