Redundancy payments to council staff will swallow up much of the £1.3 million being returned to the authority from the reserves of Tayside Police and Fire and Rescue Service, The Courier can reveal.
Council officers have confirmed general fund balances are at such a “seriously low level” that none of that windfall can be used to offset cuts to the city’s most vulnerable people, Labour group leader Kevin Keenan said.
Mr Keenan revealed he has been told by senior officers that part of this balance will be used to meet the severance payments required in line with the administration’s voluntary early-retirement scheme.
He said: “I was advised general fund balances were at a seriously low level and they could not give support to using even part of the £1.335m windfall Dundee City will recover from the reserves of the former Tayside police and fire and rescue services.
“The Labour Group thinks this money would be better spent overturning the SNP administration’s frontline service cuts.
“This £1.335m takes the general fund balance back to £4.75m, and officers suggested that they would like to see balances closer to £6m.
“Therefore I have reluctantly had to accept their professional opinion agreeing not to take this fund.
“However, I do consider this reflects very poorly on this SNP administration and its budget management getting our city in a position where general fund balances are reported at an all-time low.”
The Labour group has now published its alternative savings proposals under the budget headings of education, social work and supporting people, totalling £1.544m, which includes the police and fire service cash.
* £1.335m the complete windfall from police and fire reserves.
* £10,000 deletion of second civic car and running costs.
* £152,000 from the proposed 2013-14 spend of £608,000 private contractor ash disposal.
* £47,000 from corporate services division, other supplies and services.
Mr Keenan added: “The SNP Scottish Government announced its budget just the other day, offering no additional support to local government, while here in Dundee the SNP administration again proposes to cut vital frontline services that support people in need along with taking more teachers from our classrooms.
“It again confirms that an SNP administration means uncaring and ruthless policies that will add misery to the lives of those most in need.
“Imposing a 5%, across the board reduction in social work and supporting people budgets is just a lazy and callous attempt to balance the books.”
The civic car is another area where we have been unable to reach agreement.
The public and the council’s own workforce will have to make up their own minds the administration purchased a larger vehicle so more of them can be chauffeur driven at any one time.
“I am also advised the administration councillors have taken training to self-drive the electric vehicles looks like our employees could be out of pocket, but not the SNP councillors.”
He added: “Dundee City Council had £600,000 in the 2012-13 budget for ‘private contractor ash disposal’, and are making provision for £608,000 in the 2013-14 budget, despite the fact that DERL has been out of commission from May, 2012.
“While it’s disappointing that the Labour group have been unable to convince officers of a saving larger than £152,000 moving forward, we believe the public need an answer from the administration what has this money been used for from May 2012?
“We have offered a way forward to help the poor and vulnerable.
“I don’t care who gets the political credit, what is important to me is helping those who need the most help.”
Meanwhile the Unite union’s local government shop stewards have urged their members and members of the general public to protest Dundee City Council’s budget cuts.
Branch chairman Stuart Fairweather said: “These cuts will hurt people of all ages across Dundee.
“Local government workers want to deliver quality services. These cuts are an attack on services and directly on council staff.”
The shop stewards called on union members and the public to voice their concern to their councillors and to attend the council meetings tonight and the budget meeting on Thursday to make their feelings known.
awilson@thecourier.co.uk