Council leader holds budget talks with finance minister

The leader of Moray Council yesterday met Scotland’s finance minister, Derek Mackay, to press for increased government funding to allow current levels of council service to be maintained.

Councillor Stewart Cree, who was accompanied by corporate director Mark Palmer on the visit to Edinburgh, described the meeting as ‘very positive’ and apprised the Minister of the facts about the huge financial shortfall faced by the council.

Based on current estimates, council reserves – the money it has set aside to deal with unforeseen and unexpected expenditure – will be wiped out soon after April 2018.

Mr Mackay was told that the council’s budget for the current year is £207million, of which £5.6million will be funded by reserves.

Reserves at the end of the current financial year are expected to stand at £12.6million, with the budget shortfall for 2017-18 estimated at £12million.

“There was a very good atmosphere during the meeting,” said Councillor Cree. “I felt he was listening and took on board all we said. I explained why, by April 2018, the council would be facing an annual deficit to fund services of at least £12million.

“I am confident that the minister will reflect on the case which we presented to him and will seek to persuade his cabinet colleagues that, without a change of thinking by the Scottish Government, there will be drastic cuts in local service provision, with long-term consequences for many families and communities.

"The minister has asked to be kept informed of any progress in our budget-setting process, and for us to research how many other councils were facing the same degree of financial challenge.”