Council’s prediction of its possible future money problems criticised
Horsham District Council has been accused of ‘inflating’ possible future money problems to justify selling off assets such as the Drill Hall and Rookwood Golf Course.
During a meeting of the full council on Wednesday February 10 questions were asked about the Medium Term Financial Strategy, which predicted a steadily increasing deficit in council funds, reaching £2.65m by 2024/25.
However, it was pointed out by an opposition councillor and a member of the public, that no increase in council tax had been included in the projected figures for the coming years.
John Milne (Lib Dem, Roffey North) said the budget created pressure to sell off ‘much loved community assets’, adding that some of the assumptions made for the next few years were
‘extremely pessimistic’.
He said: “If you look at the deficit at the end of it – £2.6m – you’re thinking that’s panic stations.
“But if you understand how that figure is generated you realise you could actually come up, by a few simple measures, with a very, very much smaller figure that would not be threatening and might not lead to the same decisions over such issues as the Drill Hall, Rookwood and
Broadbridge Heath [running track].”
During public question time, Paul Kornycky, a Rudgwick resident, said £2m could be knocked off of the deficit figures by assuming that the council tax increase proposed for 2021/22 – a £5 (3.28 per cent) rise for Band D homes – is projected forward.
Asking for confirmation of what the assumed council tax levels for the next three years would be, he added: “Understanding the reasonableness of assumptions made in putting together these projections is very important to instil public confidence in their integrity.”
Paul Clarke, cabinet member for finance and assets, told Mr Kornycky that councillors ‘do not pre-empt council tax rise decisions in future years because this would restrict the decision making of the future council’.
But the budgets for 2019/20 and 2020/21 included assumed rises for future years.
The only one in recent years which didn’t was the 2018/19 budget.
And with the financial cost of the pandemic likely to have an ongoing impact on council funds, rises in council tax are only to be expected.
Mr Kornycky added: “Why have you made such an implausible assumption in your projections, which has inflated the published medium term deficit by 40 per cent, unless perhaps to attempt to justify the potential sale or closure of valued community facilities?”
There were words of caution from Brian Donnelly (Con, Pulborough, Coldwaltham and Amberley), who painted a bleak picture of what would happen if the council failed to balance its budget.
Pointing out that officers had to take a ‘prudent and cautious’ view of the future, he said: “Many of us appear to forget that we have a statutory responsibility to balance the budget.
“If we fail to do so there is a clear and present danger that we could be put into administration – which has happened to other councils.
“If we go into administration it will be a fire sale by an administrator, with the members having no say in it whatsoever, of assets which are non-statutory assets – and that will include all the very much loved services that we do provide in this district.”
West Sussex’s Youth Cabinet has been rewarded for its tireless campaigning during the pandemic with a nomination for a national award.
The High Sheriff of West Sussex Dr Tim Fooks has put its ‘tackling knife crime in West Sussex and beyond’ campaign forward for a National Crimebeat Award.
Youth cabinet members designed and created a series of posters to deter young people from knife crime, with the support of Sussex Police and West Sussex county councillors. They have been sent to schools to display and encourage discussion as well as put on social media.
Dr Fooks said he was ‘greatly impressed’ by the poster campaign, describing them as ‘well designed and thought provoking’.
Youth cabinet chairperson Daisy Watson-Rumbold said:
“A lot of effort went into formulating the posters and the positive effects they’ve had on our communities has made it all worthwhile.
“They serve as a reminder that there are always support
provisions available for young people, countywide, and that the youth cabinet is actively representing the youth of West Sussex in every issue.”
The campaign promotes Fearless.org – the youth
service of Crimestoppers where young people can report crime anonymously.
It is one of no fewer than eight campaigns the youth cabinet has championed throughout the pandemic.
Other notable recent achievements by the youth cabinet include: hosting a debate on racial inequality, helping West Sussex to first place in the UK for the number of votes cast in the 2020 Make Your Mark, starting a weekly podcast discussing topics that affect young people, promoting wellbeing help and resources for its better health awareness campaign, working closely with the council to promote the West Sussex Climate Conversation survey, working with the council’s education team to engage young people in a review of the way the curriculum is taught and hosting three webinars for its youth cabinet political engagement campaign.
The West Sussex Youth Cabinet members are aged between 14 and 17 and meet once a month virtually. There are vacancies and anyone interested in becoming a youth cabinet member should email Caz.Evans@ westsussex.gov.uk cover