Central Beds
One fifth of senior managers are being cut and council tax is going up by 2.95 per cent at Central Bedfordshire Council.
As the authority faces a drop in financial support from Government, reduced investment income and a dramatic increase on demand for its services.
At its Council meeting on Thursday night councillors heard that the Government was only contributing one third towards the cost of maintaining local public services.
The council tax increase is said to be necessary to protect vital services such as community safety, highways, care for the elderly and vulnerable adults, street cleaning, waste and recycling collection, schools and libraries.
The recent serious weather has also increased dramatically the number of potholes to be repaired and the council faces the prospect of similar bad weather in the future.
As well as senior management is being cut by 20 per cent, fewer temporary staff will be employed, some recruitment will be frozen and costs cut in marketing, legal, risk management and member services.
Other savings include cutting back on the cost of buildings and equipment, training and conferences and private sector services.
Cllr Maurice Jones, corporate resources portfolio holder, said: "Our small council tax increase will help to cover the budget gap between maintaining essential services and the low grant received from Government. We have had to make wide ranging efficiency savings to plug the gap caused by the Government making new demands upon us without providing the necessary funding.
"Let me be clear; tough decisions have had to be made across the council to address the funding shortfall in order to deliver a balanced and sustainable budget.
"We are in the process of cutting our senior management by 20 per cent and making a further £12m of savings to go with the £10m of efficiency savings achieved last year. But our savings will protect the front-line services that matter to local people including those for children, young people at risk, vulnerable adults and the elderly.
"Central Bedfordshire councillors recognise the need to make savings in our expenses and have frozen the level of our allowances for the remainder of the life of the council and reduced the level of travel and subsistence costs we receive. Reorganising council committees will reduce the number of committee chairmen receiving special allowances and save at least £14,000."
Central Bedfordshire is proposing a council tax increase of 2.95 per cent making an average Band D cost of £1,324.96 (this is split between the former district council areas – in the former Mid Beds area is it £1,308.33 whilst in the former South Beds area it is £1,344.15).
The figures do not include police, fire or town/parish precepts.