THE PERTH and Kinross Council budget process has been branded a “farce” after political groups were given less than an hour to consider eight separate proposals.
The minority SNP’s budget was passed last month despite amendments being put forward by the three opposition parties.
The groups spent just 45 minutes discussing the various options put forward before returning to the chamber to agree a deal which saw minor amendments made to the administration’s original two-year plan.
The four-strong independent group did not present its own budget, preferring to call for a fortnight’s deferral to consider all cases properly.
Their suggestion was quickly thrown out, leading to an angry backlash from Kinross-shire independent Councillor Mike Barnacle.
He said: “The independent group chose not to present their own revenue budget, given the political arithmetic in the chamber and the fact that our request for earlier dialogue with the other groups had met with such a disappointing and mixed reaction.
“Subsequent events were to prove the wisdom of that decision.”
He said the ongoing council tax freeze made it “imperative that Perth and Kinross Council’s decision on use of its limited resources, in a very difficult economic climate, be given careful consideration and scrutiny.”
Mr Barnacle said the independents had major concerns over the proposed budget.
He went on: “We therefore moved deferral of budget decisions until the next Perth and Kinross Council meeting, set for February 27, to allow for the dialogue required to examine the relative merits of each budget proposal in order to reach a better consensus and proposal to take forward on behalf of the people of Perth and Kinross we seek to represent.
“Since Perth and Kinross Council had already accepted the terms of the local government settlement and all groups agreed this, council tax bills would not be affected by the deferral.
“Unfortunately, this responsible approach was ruled as not competent when we had been earlier advised it was in order.”
He went on to say that he did not accept the budget and “will continue to highlight its effects in the next two years”.
He said: “As Councillor Robertson said during the debate, the whole procedure was a ‘farce’ and there must be a better way of doing things.”
arichardson@thecourier.co.uk