Budget backed by South Kintyre councillors fails
Opposition councillors have failed in their bid to save Argyll and Bute Council’s cultural co-ordinator post from the axe.
The Strategic Opposition Partnership – SNP, Green, Labour and some independent councillors – moved an amended budget as the council made its financial plans for 2023/24.
It agreed with some of the ruling Argyll, Lomond and Islands group (TALIG)’s budget proposals, including a five per cent council tax increase and the rejection of a savings option on school crossing patrols, although the ruling administration’s budget will see all such posts which have been vacant for a year or more removed.
But the opposition group wanted to retain the cultural co-ordinator post while the TALIG budget decided to remove it.
The opposition budget was defeated by 18 votes to 17 after a vote at the full council meeting on Thursday February 23.
All three South Kintyre councillors – John Armour, a member of the opposition group, and Donald Kelly and Tommy Macpherson, the only councillors not affiliated with either the ruling group or the opposition group – voted in favour of the amended budget.
Moving the TALIG budget proposal, council leader Robin Currie said: “We are doing all we can to ensure Argyll and Bute is defined as a success story, a story of triumph in the face of adversity, and of delivering in extremely challenging financial circumstances.”
Music tutor Mark MacSporran, who campaigned to save cultural co-ordinator job, said he was “very disappointed” at the outcome; more than 600 people signed a petition in support of retaining the position.
One of the main roles of the cultural coordinator is to get Youth Music Initiative (YMI) funding from Creative Scotland, which is applied for by the local authority.
Mark, who was educated at Rhunahaorine Primary School and Tarbert Academy and is now a drumming workshop facilitator across Argyll, said: “The council has stated that ‘the administration and management of YMI funding would be overseen by other staff’, however, the lack of specification on how this role will merge raises doubts about their ability to manage this fund.
“I am concerned that poor leadership and a naïve understanding of the processes required to facilitate the YMI fund will have a detrimental impact on the success of the programme and the opportunities that children across Argyll have been receiving.”
Councillor Armour said: “After excellent representations on behalf of saving the post of cultural co-ordinator, highlighting the great work that is done in raising and saving the council money and the great benefits to school pupils, we felt that this was £15,000 well spent and therefore did not put forward this cut in our budget.
“It was a budget to save jobs, keep children safe and help the most vulnerable in our communities. There was never any thought on our part to take the cut to school crossing patrollers.”
Councillor Kelly said: “I think it’s disgraceful that council officers keep putting forward proposals to cut school patrollers when they know not one councillor in the chamber would be willing to accept it. This proved, yet again, to be the case.
“I supported the amendment because it had more in it which protected vital existing front-line services and made provision for a much-needed environmental warden for Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands and would have saved the cultural co-ordinator position. If I had one criticism to make, it would be the increase in council tax by five per cent – I felt a rise of three per cent would have been more appropriate, given the current cost of living crisis.
“To accommodate this, the books could have been balanced by taking the additional revenue from council reserves.”
Councillor Macpherson said: “I heard from one side of the chamber corporate planning, shortfall and prudence when I should have been hearing communities, people, services, and parity – parity, a word I have cited time and again since being elected!
“With words such as accounting adjustment, flat cash, and funding gaps, TALIG’s tone was akin to that of a board meeting. The focus was on the delivery, not content.
“It was patchwork in design, lacking foresight and of little ambition.
“With a hefty increase of five per cent council tax, six per cent in licences and 11 per cent to harbour fees, and yet the reality of front-line service cuts and uncertainty remain.”
▮ For more comment from the councillors see www. campbeltowncourier.co.uk