Inverclyde Council Budget Update

Branch Secretary Robin Taggart gives an update on the upcoming Council budget.

Dear Colleague
 
The full council will meet on Thursday 29th February to agree its budget. The SG have advised CoSLA that a further £62.7m may be distributed to councils as part of the settlement grant. This would obviously reduce the council’s budget gap and potentially impact on decisions the council take on Thursday on council tax and cuts to jobs and services. What is not clear are the terms behind this additional funding, which seems to be predicated on decisions that the UK Government may or may not take in the their spring budget on Wednesday 6th March. However it is likely that the SG will only provide this additional funding to councils who agree to freeze council tax for 2024/25. This development means that the budget report for consideration on Thursday will not now be issued until probably early this week. We also hope that the various political groups will issue their proposals today as to how they would close the current £2.6m budget gap. Whilst this extra funding is, on the face of it, a positive development. The lack of clarity on the terms of the extra funding is not helping councils, like Inverclyde, who are due to agree their budgets next week.
 
I will send out a further update this week. I am also hopeful that I can provide further details of potential cuts within the HSCP. The HSCP budget for the next two years is being developed by the Integration Joint Board and not the council.
 
Best Wishes Robin
 
Robin Taggart
Branch Secretary
Unison (Inverclyde Branch)