Middlesbrough: cuts
Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 1:52 pm
This is the 2nd year of a 4-year reduction plan, and back in 2010 we were promised that the cuts would start at the top, that the services the paying public rely upon the most, would be protected.
What makes tough decisions more palatable to take, whether it affects the staff or members of the public, is the ability to outline priorities and place the cuts in order of merit, to give them a common purpose and understanding.
So it’s hard to stomach increases in pay for those at the top.
Whether it is the Chief Executive, Executive Directors or the officers throughout this council, there is a question of honour in all of this; even if there is a contractual opportunity to gain an extra income, it doesn’t mean it has to be accepted.
Pay rises at the top cannot be justified, at a time when the front line staff are told that there won’t be a pay rise again this year, and that their jobs are still under threat; and at a time when members of the public are having to dig deeper into their pockets, yet witness the services they depend upon reduce or disappear altogether.
Last year, officers in charge of the Regeneration department decided to close down the Captain Cook museum for 5 months, to save costs – this was accepted by many of the Councillors present here today. Members of staff were also made redundant.
Now it will need the help of volunteers this year in order to open the museum again. A fee will also be imposed just for the privilege to walk through the doors once more – then the officer right at the very top is due to receive a £5,000 increase on his salary this year.
The rules that govern common sense fail to apply in some parts of this council.
On the same scale it cannot be acceptable for some Councillors being paid around a £1,000 per meeting that they Chair.
Why hasn’t this council undertaken a comprehensive study of its finances, and look at where the spending is going? Myself and an ex-councillor have repeatedly asked, year after year, for a top down zero based budget to take place. It would clearly identify where all the money is being spent, but this request still remains out of the question.
You only have to look at the figures that are available to us in the Service Budget book, figures that immediately jump out and asks the question ‘Exactly what is this money being spent on’?
I’ll give you a few examples;
Stationary - £222,000 (or 0.5% on council tax)
Books, Publications and Printing - £700,000 (or 1.5% on council tax)
Subscriptions - £475,000 (nearly 1% council tax)
Partnership Payments – 72 Million pounds (144% council tax).
I’m not saying that we can cut all of the above, but there are areas that savings can be made.
Another example is the 1.1 Million pounds that has been set aside for car allowances. That’s the equivalent of this council purchasing 110 brand new cars at a cost of £10,000 each.
And yet if we cut just 5% of this allowance then we could save the 18 school crossing patrol staff.
This council has over 1,000 mobile phones on hire to its staff, at a cost of £95,000. Yet if we cut this by 50%, then the specialized cutlery for the disabled can once again be given at no cost.
It’s where priorities come into play and should be at the forefront of each and every cut that is decided.
We cannot ask the people of Middlesbrough to pay more and then receive less, we cannot close a library or community centre down, to tell the public that they have to pay for vital care as you leave a hospital bed, we cannot tell the disabled that they can no longer be provided with specialized cutlery, that used to be provided at no cost, we cannot increase the costs for care in the community, put children at risk, and reduce services and staff such as the Street Wardens.
We cannot justifiably do all that and look the people of Middlesbrough squarely in the eye, until the spending has been studied in fine detail.
Only a top down zero based budget can deliver the cuts that need to be carried out.
