Fife Council’s Tory group backs council tax freeze ahead of budget meeting

Fife Council Conservative Group has published its submission for the budget meeting this week, and it proposes a balanced budget and council tax freeze.

Group leader Councillor Dave Dempsey said, “We were advised by the council’s finance director that to simply carry on without finding savings would leave the council nearly £24 million overspent in the coming year.

“In addition, he advised that we should set aside a further £5 million as contingency, making nearly £29 million in all.

“The various council services have identified over £37 million in savings proposals but had offset this with over £10 million of spending pressures to meet needs arising from factors such as the increasing number of older people in Fife.

“We’ve accepted a bit over £35 million of the savings and £7 million of the pressures, leaving us pretty well where we want to be.”

Fife Council has warned staffing levels may need to fall by as much as 15% by 2014.

It wants employees to consider taking voluntary redundancy, early retirement or cutting hours.

Last year the SNP/Lib Dem council announced a freeze on recruitment.

It is understood Fife Council is looking to cut its staff by around 1800.