Public has a say on council cuts (From Bury Times)

Public has a say on council cuts

9:53am Thursday 24th January 2008

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RESIDENTS were asked for their suggestions as Bury Council launched its budget roadshow with the news that cuts will be necessary to meet a £8.5m funding shortfall in the next financial year.

Council leader Bob Bibby and director of finance Mike Owen have been travelling to local area partnership (LAP) meetings across the borough setting out the current financial situation and inviting residents to put forward ideas on how the council can make the savings.

The council has to contend with lower than expected funding from central government, increased waste disposal and energy costs and the prospect of equal pay settlements for female employees, says Coun Bibby. At the same time, central government has again warned councils to keep council tax rises below five per cent.

Coun Bibby said that although cuts would be unavoidable, frontline services would not suffer and he promised that residents' priorities would be acknowledged.

Measures being considered include the reduction of blue bin collections and the introduction of charges for the collection of bulky waste, as well as cuts to highways, children's services social care and library departments.

Coun Bibby, speaking at Ramsbottom, Tottington and North Manor LAP last week, said: "Frontline services will remain the same but there will be more economy."

He accused the previous Labour administration of failing to factor anticipated equal pay claims into previous years' accounts, leaving the bill to be paid entirely from this year's budget.

He described the Labour council's decision to discount pensioners' council tax rise last year as a cynical bid to woo elderly Tory voters but said that the Conservatives would repeat the move this year, although possibly not to the same extent as last year when over 65s received a 2.9 per cent rise compared to 4.9 per cent for everyone else.

The council has consultation documents and a budget simulator game available on its website. Public conferences on the budget will be held at Bury Town Hall on February 14, at 2pm and 7pm, and the budget will be set at a council meeting on February 20.

THE mobile benefits bus is on Bury Market tomorrow from 9.30am to 4pm.

Council staff will give advice on housing and council tax benefit, pension credits and other welfare benefits.

It has a ramp for disabled access, and a private interview room. No appointment is necessary.

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