Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
February 24 is d-day for council tax rates
Countdown to North Lanarkshire budget 2020-21
North Lanarkshire Council will determine council tax rates for 2020-2021 and set its budget for the year ahead on Monday, February 24.
The local authority confirmed the date this week in the wake of the Scottish Government stating that the Holyrood budget, including the funding settlement to local authorities, will be published on February 6.
Both have been delayed by the UK general election taking place on December 12, which was originally scheduled to be budget day at the Scottish Parliament; and chancellor Sajid Javid then announced that the Westminster budget will not be held until March 11 – the legal deadline by which Scottish councils must balance their books for the year ahead.
Holyrood finance secretary Derek Mackay will now present draft national budget plans in two weeks’ time, unusually in advance of the UK version rather than after when details of the vital block grant and tax forecasts would be confirmed, saying it would have been “impossible” to wait.
North Lanarkshire Council leader Jim Logue told the Advertiser: “While the budget process announced by the Scottish Government still leaves room for some doubt, their stated intention to publish a draft budget on February 6 at least means we will have indicative figures to work with.
“We’ll be working hard between the publication of the draft budget and the council meeting on February 24 to put together a budget based on these figures and to set council tax for next year.”
He added: “This is immensely challenging because these figures from the Scottish Government are available two months later than they normally would be and, even then, they could change.
“The most important thing is that local government gets a fair funding settlement from Holyrood after years of cuts and under-investment which go way beyond any cuts the UK government has imposed on the Scottish Government.”
Last year’s North Lanarkshire budget saw cuts of £16 million and a three per cent rise to council tax – the second consecutive rise of that amount for householders, following a previous decade-long freeze.
Airdrie Central representative Councillor Logue has previously told how he fears “catastrophic” budgets cuts totalling up to £100m over the next three years.
Scottish finance secretary Mr Mackay said of his February 6 decision: “The timing of the UK budget made it impossible for us to publish our own [ afterwards] without drastically restricting the time for parliamentary scrutiny.
“In these exceptional circumstances, it’s vital we give local authorities and public services clarity on their budgets – that is why we have made the decision to publish ours in February, which will allow local authorities to set their budgets and council tax before the legal deadline.
“The UK government’s approach to the Scottish budget has been completely unacceptable and has shown a disregard for devolution and a lack of fiscal responsibility.”
He added: “I look forward to publishing a budget that will help tackle the global climate emergency, reduce child poverty and boost the economy.”
Mr Javid says his March announcement at Westminster “will unleash Britain’s potential – uniting our great country, opening a new chapter for our economy and ushering in a decade of renewal”.