Changes to the political map have ushered in a new opportunity to radically reduce council running costs and look at a cull of highly-paid management positions, it has been claimed.
With the SNP now at the helm of councils in Angus and Dundee, the rural authority’s deposed finance spokesman has said there is a ”once in a lifetime” chance for cost-cutting and closer working.
Montrose independent Mark Salmond said: ”With the SNP controlling Angus and Dundee councils there should be a political opportunity for an improved shared services agenda between Angus and our neighbours.
”Council budgets are getting tighter and there is an urgent necessity to look to reduce duplication between neighbouring councils to create the savings needed to protect essential front line services. Other councils in Scotland are already well advanced in reducing duplication and I see a great opportunity for Angus and Dundee to do the same.”
Council tax collection, IT, procurement and finance are suggested as target areas by Mr Salmond but he also hopes Angus will go further in reducing its senior management wage bill.
”We need to get away from the protectionism culture that exists and look at ways of providing council services more efficiently and economically,” Mr Salmond said.
”There are many other areas where services could be shared but that would be a matter for further discussion and debate.
”I would put on record that I see this being done over a number of years through natural wastage and reorganisation and not necessarily compulsory redundancies.”
He continued: ”During my own discussions with the chief executive earlier this year I put forward my own view that the senior management of Angus Council needs to be streamlined.
”There needs to be a reorganisation of departments with an appropriate reduction in management to create a more cost-effective structure, with a quicker decision-making process. It should not take months to get simple decisions made.”
He added: ”There is already a process which has begun and will continue through future budget cycles to reduce the council staffing by 500 through natural wastage and reorganisation. Senior management should not be immune from this review process.”
Angus SNP group leader Iain Gaul said the principle of shared services is something he supports, and he expects it to come into sharper focus following the first meeting of the new council on Tuesday.
”We seem to have been looking more towards Dundee and the old Tayside region area but a lot of what goes on in Aberdeenshire will have a big impact on Angus so we will be looking towards what we could do there as well.
”We have to be continually looking at reducing the backroom costs working smarter and not just harder,” added Mr Gaul.