To suggest that Fife Council can close its £77 million revenue budget gap over the next three years without a negative impact on council services would be “simply dishonest”, a councillor has warned.
Bryan Poole, the council’s executive spokesperson for education, has also warned that education and children’s services will be in the firing line, with the education budget shortfall making up £38 million of the total funding gap.
Council officials are currently working behind the scenes to draw up budget proposals for 2015/16.
It is expected that the authority’s Labour administration will go public on some of the proposals by the start of November, with firm decisions to be made by the council at February’s budget meeting.
Mr Poole said: “As things stand, the choices available to councillors and local communities are limited.
“Increasing the income to Fife Council via council tax in order that the services could be ‘collectively funded/provided’ is not available to councils without incurring severe financial penalties from the Scottish Government in short, our income is frozen.
“Therefore, the choices come down to a significant cut in service, a significant increase in chargeable services, or possibly a combination of the two a smaller cut in services with an increase in chargeable services.
“But anyone who pretends that Fife Council can balance its budget which it is required to do by law at no cost to Fifers will be guilty of misleading the public.
“I know that planning is under way to take the various budgetary proposals out to public consultation towards the end of this year.
“It is more important than ever that local people get along to those sessions and make their views known.”
Mr Poole, who is an independent councillor for Cupar, raised concerns in his latest report to Cupar Community Council.
He said Fife Council was facing “unprecedented financial challenges” in maintaining the current level of services.
He added: “This is not particular to Fife or, indeed, Fife Council. All across the public sector there are severe and growing pressures.
On an almost weekly basis we read of the inability of the NHS to recruit key staff/consultants with the resultant negative impact that has on health services to people who are ill. That is a fact.”
Mr Poole said that within the council he sees on a daily basis staff at all levels junior employees, teachers, social workers, head teachers, heads of service and executive directors not only operating at their maximum capacity but, often, way beyond maximum capacity.
He said they were “running to stand still”.
Mr Poole went on: “This is impacting on the service being provided to Fifers.
For far too long there has been a pretence and councillors have been more guilty than most in this respect that huge financial cuts can be made with little or no impact on services, some of these vital services. More honesty wouldn’t go amiss.”