The fallout from Fife Council’s budget continues with a senior Labour councillor claiming an opposition budget was incompetent.
As the row shows no let up, Councillor Mark Hood is now is calling for a review of the council’s budget setting process.
“Every party who wants to bring forward a counter proposal has to bring forward a balanced budget, this year there are serious questions being raised over the SNP’s budget proposal,” he claimed.
It all hinges on the SNP’s budget in which the party allowed for a £43,000 rise in income by opening school gyms for public use.
“On the face of it this would seem reasonable, but when you consider the budget also included a subsidy for opening similar facilities in other areas of Fife the income growth of £43,000 seems unrealistic.
“As yet I haven’t found an officer who believes an increase in income could be achieved, and as a result the SNP budget should have been deemed incompetent, Mr Hood added.
Mr Hood claimed that this was not the first time a budget proposal was incorrect, citing the SNP’s alternative capital budget last year as having been deemed incompetent as it included funding for a new school without showing where the money would come from.
“Fortunately on that occasion officers noticed the error and the SNP proposal was ruled incompetent and not included in the vote,” he said.
Mr Hood is now calling for a review of the budget setting process to ensure errors are identified early and are independently reviewed by officers before the budget meeting.
He wanted more finance training for councillors and said parties should be required to submit proposals to officers and publish them before meetings.
“We made significant changes to the process when we published a draft budget for consultation, but we need to look again at how we improve the process further.”
But SNP finance spokesman David Alexander stormed it was “utterly embarrassing if Labur are reduced to this”.
He said the £43,000 income rise, which related to Buckhaven High and a second new campus which were not yet open was a “tiny” part of the budget, and was agreed with council staff.
He added: “The average income levels were also agreed with council staff.
“Council finance staff will decide what’s competent not Mr Hood.”
He accused Mr Hood of making “untrue” remarks that Finance Minister John Swinney had cut the council’s budget by £38 million.
“If you cannot believe him over £38m don’t put too much trust in what he says about £43,000.”
He said it was embarrassing if Labour was reduced to suggesting £43,000 could make a budget incompetent.
Photo by George McLuskie