Labour councillors in Dundee have refused to submit alternative budget proposals, despite the looming prospect of a £23 million black hole in the city’s accounts.
Dundee faces a 5.5% reduction in its budget, but Labour group leader Kevin Keenan claims the SNP administrations in the city and at Holyrood refuse “to listen to any constructive suggestion or proposal”.
He said: “These cuts are a result of John Swinney, the SNP finance secretary, choosing to target local government spending in his budget settlement and the consequences will land at his door and at the door of his administration in Dundee.
“The SNP have turned Dundee into Scotland’s ‘sold out city’.
“At this 11th hour, I am calling on the city council’s administration to reject the budget settlement and press for a fair settlement for our city that protects services.”
However, he said the council could save money by slashing its hospitality and transport budgets.
The local authority spends £9.8 million a year on transport.
“We would suggest that at a minimum, the council remove the second civic car,” said Mr Keenan.
“Retaining a second chauffeur-driven vehicle for councillors is a luxury the council cannot afford to keep.”
He also said Dundee Energy Recycling Limited should not be given an additional £425,000 after reporting an operating profit of more than £1.1m.
The SNP is proposing hiking car parking charges in the city while cuts will be made to garden maintenance, domestic waste recycling, roads and street lighting and family services.
Charges for social care and leisure services also face huge increases in fees as the council attempts to make the £23 million of savings it needs in 2016-17.
West End councillor Fraser Macpherson has said the hike in car parking charges should be scrapped in his amendments to the planned budget, which will be voted on next Thursday.
He believes savings can be found by shaving money off departmental budgets rather than raising car parking fees or garden maintenance charges for elderly and vulnerable residents frozen.
Mr Macpherson’s proposals would see budgets reduced for items such as furniture, catering and hospitality and £20,000 removed from Leisure and Culture Dundee’s budget.
He said his proposed cuts are spread across the council’s departments in order to lessen their impact.