The SNP opposition group made a bid to avoid cuts to PE facilities, community learning and development and public conveniences at Argyll and Bute Council’s budget meeting.
However, it also wanted to introduce the maximum possible council tax increase of 4.84%, compared to the 4.5% agreed by the authority’s administration.
Speaking to the group’s budget proposals at the meeting last Thursday, group leader Sandy Taylor said the administration’s budget had ‘departed’ from what the council was trying to achieve.
But he shared the view of administration councillors that making decisions on savings was a difficult process.
He said: “In terms of what is coming forward, I will start by asking how members make a decision on things like the money that is involved.
“There are many different ways to do that, but we cannot escape the fact that we have to make these decisions which in many ways we do not want to make.
“The thing that strikes me about the budget is that we have departed from what we are trying to achieve.
“We said we would provide the best start for our young people and help them be the best they can be.
“The savings we have to make drive us all into a very narrow place. But the reality is that there are fewer of them.
“I accept that when you look at the administration budget, and probably the Argyll and Bute First budget, there will not be a great difference between them.
“We are rejecting some of these savings options, but the important thing to say is that the council needs to be focused on its strategic objectives. That is why we are doing it.”
Cllr Lorna Douglas, seconding Cllr Taylor’s amendment, said: “We have taken on board the voices of our communities and have considered our own shared principles, the findings of which are included here.
“We need to reflect on past budgets, the context of them, political or otherwise, and the positive and negative impacts that have followed them.
“Times have been and will be difficult, but the culture allowing a reactive pattern in terms of dealing with change will never take us to a better destination.”
Bid for an hour’s delay was in vain
A bid to have the budget meeting adjourned by an hour to discuss new Scottish Government funding was quashed.
Cllr George Freeman submitted a 123-word amendment on a single sheet of paper asking for members to be allowed further debate.
An additional £95m was made available by the Scottish Government for distribution among local authorities the afternoon before the meeting. It is yet to be decided what share Argyll and Bute will receive.
The council has also been given an extra £954,000 for ferry services, but Cllr Freeman said that the sum “paled into insignificance”.
His motion to adjourn the meeting was seconded by fellow Argyll and Bute First Cllr Douglas Philand, but failed to garner any further support.
Cllr Freeman said: “We have not tabled detailed budget proposals because there is too much new information that has materialised, and we request an hour’s adjournment.
“The funding of £954,000, subject to the decisions of the Scottish Government, for ferry services, pales into insignificance when you consider the hundreds of millions of pounds currently being ploughed into two rusting hulks lying in Ferguson’s yard on the Clyde.
“COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) have commented about the impact that council budgets will have on staff, and have been clearly quoted saying hundreds of jobs are at stake within local authorities.
“We have been told ourselves that in the last 10 years the budget has been cut by £50m, but when you look at staff numbers in the last eight years, our numbers have not changed.
“I have not got the answer, but how do we lose £50m while staff numbers stay the same?
“Also, the Health and Social Care Partnership and Live Argyll staff numbers have actually increased over that time. Somebody needs to explain that to us.
“We also have to look really seriously at the funding we provide to partners including the Health and Social Care Partnership, where we have continued concerns at the audit and scrutiny committee.”
Cllr Philand added: “I don’t think anybody in here knows the implication of the £1m being proposed.
“For me, even to have that hour to be able to discuss with our colleagues will let us explore what this actually means.
“I think I would like that clarity on the impact on our services. We don’t know what that is and it is something we must make a decision on today.
“The budget motions are so close with one or two tweaks, so we should get together and think about it and pull something together which is even better.”
Cllr Donald Kelly, the third and final member of Argyll and Bute First, was not present at the meeting.
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