DECISION
An extra 65 teachers and classroom assistants could be employed in South Lanarkshire and 1700 young people automatically enrolled for free school meals and clothing grants – but £15 million worth of cuts are still in the pipeline.
Cash-strapped South Lanarkshire Council are due to set their budget for 2018/19 at a meeting of the executive committee today.
A revised package of savings – reduced from £16m in January – will go before councillors with 124 jobs now facing the axe.
The SNP administration have previously put forward a number of proposals including free breakfast clubs, lunch clubs and free lets for parent councils and parent-teacher associations totalling £680,000.
And as well as more teachers and classroom assistants, 50 additional staff would be trained to work in nurseries and another 50 to help care for the elderly as part of a £7.8m package.
Furthermore, the plans would see the automatic enrolment of all families with an entitlement to free school meals and clothing grants – meaning hot meals and school clothes will be available for at least 1700 young people whose parents don’t currently apply for them.
But hard-pressed ratepayers are still looking at a three per cent council tax rise – a similar increse was agreed by North Lanarkshire Council last week – and brassed-off motorists could see £3m slashed from carriageway resurfacing. Other cuts include:
A first rise in 17 years in the charge for vulnerable residents who use the community alarm service.
An increase in the cost of school meals
Cuts to adult and older people day care.
Increase in cremation charges.
But with the SNP running a minority administration, they will need the support of others in order for the budget to be passed.
There are 25 SNP councillors; 17 Labour; 14 Tory; six independents; one Liberal Democrat and Cllr David McLachlan, suspended leader of the Labour Group.
Council leader John Ross says his party has held “constructive” talks with their opponents.