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Council deluding itself on savings targets
October 29, 2008 11:11 AM
How does this sound? To show that it is tightening its belt and offering good value for money, the government sets a target for efficiency savings. Just the sort of thing the taxpayer (and voter) likes to see, especially in these tough times. But how is the target met? Well, in the case of the Conservative County Council, not by cutting waste and slimming costs, but by borrowing from its own funds!
The Conservatives on Cambridgeshire County Council have agreed to transfer £2,700,000 from their 'Invest to Transform' account to cover for the savings they expect to make from a new scheme they are promoting.
Cambridgeshire is planning to make savings by sharing administrative functions with other local authorities. The expected savings from this 'shared services' scheme had already been allowed for in the County's budget for this year.
'This is financial jiggery-pokery', said Nichola Harrison, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Resources, in Council last week. 'You can't seriously claim to be making efficiency savings by borrowing from your own funds. The Invest to Transform fund was set up to encourage innovation and to improve services, not massage the County's financial accounts.'
'I would be ashamed of this kind of tricksy financing if I were running the Council."
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