Telford & Wrekin Budget Consultation
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]It’s that time of year again. Telford & Wrekin Council need to save some money having made £80m worth of cuts over the last few years. During January, the council are asking residents to come up with suggestions for saving cash.
The council have already made lots of changes, including:
- Cutting 1,270 posts from the authority – saving around £22 million
- Reducing “back office” costs by almost 50% – cutting £8 million
- Cutting senior management by half, reducing their pay and cabinet member allowances – cutting £2 million
- Getting the best value possible when buying goods and services – saving around £11 million
- Creating new sources of income such as building homes for private rent and the UK’s second only council run solar farm – these will generate over £2 million a year
- Attract businesses and jobs – in the last 2 years this earned the Council £4 million in extra business rates
We’ll be covering the budget activity and pass on any suggestions you might have.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/gIRWRh02uZQ”][vc_column_text]Last year, the council asked what would make Telford better. As an open council, they are obliged to publish all the suggestions, and here are the Top 10 craziest but absolutely genuine suggestions:
1 – Remove foreigners
2 – xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
3- xxx I work 12 hours a day. Xxxx
4 – Let me run Telford and Wrekin council
5 – Internet
6- Badger village – for the badgers
7- More unicorns please
8-Get rid of most people
9-More fight clubs to stop on street fighting
10-Good question not sure[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
I look at the costs that have been cut and I don’t envy the people who have to identify them and try and protect services at the same time. It’s a difficult job and I’m sure it has caused more than a few people some sleepless nights. But I can’t help thinking to myself, why have the council been spending £80m of our taxes that apparently weren’t necessary for so many years? If the council was as lean as it is now a few years ago it would have had a very valid case to go back to the British government and say there’s no wastage here, we can’t cut costs any more. When I think back to the last few election years and the amount of money taken out of reserves to buy votes it annoys me because those reserves could be softening the blow now.
I strongly object to my comment being included in the craziest top 10.
Reading his unhinged reply above I am reasonably sure that Stuart Parr is capable of something far more ridiculous!?.
i am only too aware that front line services are now being supported by investments in the town centre energy farm etc perhaps you need to look at the recycling collection to monthly will the cost of a second bin where needed out weigh savings a look at the way children s services deals with special placement suggests there are significant savings if parents concerns are dealt with in an earlier and very different way working with and listening to rather than trying to avoid and force