Issue - meetings

Report by Head of Financial Services to the P&R Committee and recommendation by P&R Committee (will be provided to the meeting)

The Council considered a recommendation by the Policy and Resources Committee with regard to savings options identified by officers for consideration for financial year 2020-21 and beyond.

Motion

The Council:-

1.     Agree as part of the 2020-21 budget process, to endorse the management/operations savings identified.

2.     Note the policy options that had been identified with further information on the options to be brought forward to Council as part of the 2020-21 budget papers.

3.     Note that officers would continue to identify further savings over the coming months to bridge the gap.

4.     Note that the Head of Customer and Support Services would take forward a statutory consultation process with the Trade Unions for those savings options that could have a direct impact on jobs.

5.     Note that the Policy and Resources Committee and Council meeting in February 2020 have been postponed by one week to allow officers time to finalise the budget pack assuming that there are similar delays to knowing the final funding settlement as has been the case over the last three years.

6.     Agree to endorse COSLA’s ask of the Scottish Government, that present budgets have a minimum uplift of inflation plus 3% and additionally all new commitments and duties are fully funded by the Scottish Government; noting that even this doesn’t necessarily address the challenges we face delivering services across such a geographically diverse area.

Moved by Councillor A Morton, seconded by Councillor Mulvaney

Amendment

Agree the recommendations from the Policy and Resources Committee with the deletion of the word “endorse” in paragraph 1 of the recommendations and the substitution of “note” in recommendation 1.

Moved by Councillor Taylor, seconded by Councillor Douglas.

Councillor Freeman moved a further Amendment which failed to find a seconder.

The requisite number of members required the vote to be taken by calling the roll and members voted as follows:-

Decision

The Motion was carried by 15 votes to 11 and the Council resolved accordingly.

(Ref: Report by Head of Financial Services dated 17 September 2019, submitted)