Hold council to account on cash

Sir, – I have read your article about the Angus budget (Courier, February 16) a few times to ensure I understand it and now do.

This is now a tough way forward given the council tax was frozen for far too long, although this was needed in the early years, to force councils to improve efficiency and remove the ‘fat’ built up over years.

Councils now are better but still have a way to go, given we still have a growing deficit.

Councillor Bill Duff has a short memory when he refers to this budget as a ‘burach’ also known as a ‘kirn’.

He was in charge of finance when the SNP-led council ran up £15 million of the £18 million debit in five years.

He also approved the hiring of Ernst & Young to advise them on how to reduce cost – circa £1 million.

I could go on but it will fall on deaf ears, like the £120,000 upgrade to Montrose recycling, which now is at £340,000 and rising but is still no better than before, other than a ‘hot desk’ for an administrator who will probably go in the next round of cuts.

Councillor Duff once told me to do the maths. I have done the arithmetic this time – the previous council ran up a debit of £3 million per annum when in office, the new council has reduced this loss to

£1 million per annum without the help of Ernst & Young.

They still need to work at efficiencies and there are many past examples of waste – the 3% increase in council tax is hard but needed to maintain what we have.

Angus Council needs to continue to reduce costs and not squander monies on works not required – like the upgrade of the Montrose Recycling Centre – and when found not fit for purpose, hold the persons/contractors responsible accountable. George Sangster. Woodlands, Logie, Montrose.