BEXLEY: Next year's council budget approved unchanged (From News Shopper)

BEXLEY: Next year's council budget approved unchanged

11:00am Wednesday 10th March 2010

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LABOUR councillors have tried and failed to amend Bexley Council’s budget for the coming year.

At the budget-setting council meeting last week the nine-strong Labour group proposed taking the undisclosed sum set aside for council communications and use it to offset the proposed increase in charges for the council BELL emergency link system.

The fees for BELL system which provides an emergency link to the council for elderly or vulnerable people, fitted in people’s homes, are due to rise by two per cent, around 10p a week, in April.

But the ruling Tories dismissed the proposal saying it was not costed and that if Labour councillors were serious, they should have proposed the idea when the budgets were being discussed at scrutiny meetings.

Councillor Colin Campbell, cabinet member responsible for finance, said Bexley had taken £1m out of its revenue budget for the coming year, to help finance its capital programme.

He explained: “Historically our capital budget is funded by property sales.

“But prices have dropped to almost fire sale levels.”

He said the council had taken the decision for the first time, to inject cash from revenue to fund its capital plans and would continue to divert money in future, if it was needed.

He claimed when Labour had been in charge four years ago. it had “broken the council piggy bank” leaving just five days’ money in the council reserves.

But Labour leader Councillor Chris Ball pointed out the Audit Commission had given Bexley four stars for its financial management when Labour was in charge.

He said the same team of finance officers was in operational control then and now.

Cllr Ball added: “To suggest the situation was a shambles under Labour is unfair.”

He said the council budget was a matter of choices and he disagreed with lots of those made by the ruling group.

And he added: “My personal opinion is how you are doing it is wrong.”

Council leader, Councillor Teresa O’Neill replied: “We are passionate about the services we deliver to local residents.

“We have worked hard to bring council spending under control and we intend to protect frontline services at a price people can afford.”

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