South Ayrshire SNP leader Peter Henderson has slammed the council administration’s ‘reliance’ on officers to ‘tell them what to do’ with the budget.
Cllr Henderson said that the administration had failed to give satisfactory details on many of its proposals, claiming that they deflected questions when asked about specific items, and chose to refer questions to officers.
He also questioned Conservative finance spokesperson, Cllr Ian Davis, over his repeated insistence that officers would monitor services facing reductions and take action if necessary.
Cllr Henderson said: “There is quite clearly no vision shown. Everything relies on somebody else to tell them what to do.”
He highlighted a £300k cut to Thriving Communities as a ‘horrendous’ example.
The administration has argued that the saving is a result of targeting improvements while maintaining service levels, but Cllr Henderson insisted the cut would hit ‘one part of local government that is actually working’.
Cllr Henderson added that he didn’t understand why the administration cut £50k for apprenticeships and made teachers who voluntarily supervise pupils at lunchtime pay for their meal.
He said: “At a time when industrial relations with teachers are strained, I don’t think that was very advisable.”
The Girvan member said he was unconvinced by the Conservatives’ stand on compulsory redundancies.
He said: “Despite being asked three times they would not commit to [non compulsory redundancies]. I think that is important.”
Council leader, Martin Dowey, did state there was ‘no appetite’ for redundancies. However, he did suggest that any request to change that position would require to go to council for approval.
Cllr Henderson also criticised the refurbishment of the Citadel at the cost of £10m over four years, saying the cost for full overhaul was between £23m and £28m and would be higher now.
He also hit out at the system that allowed the Provost’s casting vote to give the administration victory in this and other important votes.
While acknowledging the casting vote was technically allowed, he suggested that it had become and ‘ethical and moral’ issue.
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