PKC’s £17m shortfall is backdrop to budget talks
Business recovery is one of priorities
Perth and Kinross Council will look to plug a £17 million funding gap when it meets to agree its revenue budget this week.
Councillors will be asked to approve an updated net revenue budget for 2021/22 of £387 million when they meet on Wednesday, March 10.
Elected members agreed in September 2020 to set a budget for one-year covering 2021/22 rather than its usual three, due to the uncertainty created by the coronavirus.
Last month councillors voted to freeze council tax charges for 2021/22.
The £17m comes from the cost of delivering essential services and the financial uncertainty created out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The budget pressure will be managed through savings, additional funding from the Scottish Government and use of the council’s reserves.
He said: “Our SNP budget proposals demonstrate the kind of local leadership and ambition that prioritises the people of Perth and Kinross and puts families first. Every decision within our budget amendment seeks to keep as much money in their pockets as possible.”
Scottish Liberal Democrats group leader Cllr Peter Barrett said: “The COVID lockdown has had a real impact on people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing. We want to put support in place to help our most vulnerable members of the community who have experienced the worst impacts of COVID.
“We will be designing support for young people in particular and to tackle digital, social and financial exclusion amongst the whole population. There is a tsunami of COVID post traumatic stress building in our community that we need to prepare for.”
He told the PA the Lib Dems will also focus on economic recovery and supporting the regeneration of Perth and the region’s town centres “to tackle the blight of empty shops and buildings.”
The Independent and Labour group said it will seek to focus on the isolated and elderly living alone with “funding to support them getting out and about again once restrictions ease”.
Climate change will be a key focus for their amendment to the budget as will education, recovery and supporting small businesses.
Independent councillor Xander McDade said: “A key part of our recovery will be through education which is why we will be rejecting the proposed cuts to the adult literacy budget which supports people into employment.
“We will also be maintaining our commitment to ending the damaging school estate review so that our pupils and parents can focus on recovering from the pandemic rather than worrying about their school’s future.”
Speaking on behalf of fellow independent Conservative councillor Callum Purves, Cllr Colin Stewart said: “We have a number of priorities that we would like to see included in the budget, and are having ongoing discussions about them with the administration.”