Page 63 - Phonebox Magazine 2013

COUNCILLOR CORNER
A contribution from Cllr Debbie Brock and Cllr Peter Geary
A difficult budget in difficult times
bulky waste items. This does not cover what it costs to operate the service but will raise over £200,000. All domestic waste however will still be accepted for free if it is taken to one of the three waste depots in Milton Keynes, our closest being Newport Pagnell.
All councils are legally obliged to set a budget in the spring of every year and Milton Keynes did so on February 20th.
Milton Keynes council is currently a hung council with no party in overall control although the Conservative party are the largest party and form the administration. The decision on the budget is the decision of the whole council and therefore in a hung council situation it is always a difficult time, especially when the economic climate is so challenging.
None of these decisions were taken lightly and a huge amount of thought has gone into how the budget should be shaped. The administration listened to many views during the budget consultation and those of councillors in their scrutinizing of the budget. Some were taken on board when the final budget was approved. This is not a budget that was easy to put together and many tough decisions had to be made about what was important and what could no longer be afforded.
The income for all councils is made up from a number of sources, the main ones are council tax and the central grant from Government as well as numerous smaller sources of income, including in Milton Keynes income from car parking.
Along with Milton Keynes Councils budget other authorities have also been completing budgets that are collected through the Council Tax Bills. These include the Bucks and MK Fire Authority, The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner and also parish councils. In the next few weeks every household will be receiving a detailed breakdown of their bills and what the changes are.
This year, as the last couple of years, the grant from government has been cut leaving a hole in the Councilʼs budget of almost £17m, from a total revenue budget of just over £200m.
This is therefore a significant cut to have to face and comes after cuts of over £20m for each of the last 2 years as the government seeks to reduce the countryʼs debt.
As a result some tough decisions have had to be made. When the Conservatives took over the administration two years ago, reserves which most councils have, were at the lowest level they could legally be, so there are no savings that can dipped into to tide the council through difficult years, therefore the council either has to cut expenditure or increase income.
PANCAKE RACE DAY
This budget has seen both happen. Much of the savings have been made from procuring the many goods and services that the council needs better and making the council work more efficiently so savings can be made that will not affect front line services. The council has also made decisions on cutting back on middle and senior management, this year alone over £1m has been saved from management costs. This is a continuation of what has happened in the past 2 years however it has not been possible to completely bridge the gap in funding in this way.
Another very successful day was had in Olney on Shrove Tuesday – Devon Byrne lead the field of runners onto another win over Liberal in record time, our congratulations to Devon and all the runners who made another exciting year for us all. There was great participation in the childrenʼs races as ever, with a race this year for pre-school age children. Guests of the Pancake Race Committee starting the childrenʼs races this year included Mrs Carolyn Cumming, the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, along with Mayors of Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell, of course Olneyʼs own Cllr Steve Clark and former Mayor and Mayoress of the town Mike and Susan Hughes accompanying guests from Liberal Dee and Steve Leete.
Congratulations to the Pancake Race Committee and all who support the event in the town, for all the hard work and commitment that enables the day to run so smoothly. Also to Reverend Claire Wood and all the churches in the town for a changed Shriving service – all greatly enjoyed.
Some services have had to be reduced although we have worked very hard to find ways to lessen the impact where possible. One such service that was a very difficult decision to make was the reduction in support for some bus services. Some of the lesser used services that Milton Keynes Council has to subsidise are going to be discontinued in the new financial year. Some of these will affect the Olney ward in the evenings and on Sundays.
NHS 111 SERVICE
A decision taken two years ago under the previous administration was to cut completely many of the grants to outside organisations. This was to happen over a period of 3 years which would have seen very few organisations getting funding this year if things had not changed. This is now not the case and the decision the current administration took was to continue to support many of these organisations, instead their grants shrinking in line with the councilʼs budget. The organisations include many local community groups such as the Olney Scouts which make a huge difference to the communities in which they work.
From late March 2013, there will be a new number to call if you need urgent medical care. Here below are some key points about the new service or for more information you can access www.miltonkeynesccg.nhs.uk/nhs111
All things considered it has not been possible to avoid having to increase the Councilʼs income. This year for the first time in two years it has been necessary to implement a council tax increase of 1.95% and also to increase car parking charges in Central Milton Keynes. Another decision has been to introduce a charge for the collection of bulky waste. Currently if you buy a new sofa, TV, fridge or other large item of furniture the council will come and collect the old one for free. Milton Keynes was one of only three councils in the whole country to still have a free collection system. From April a charge of £10 will now be made for the collection of
111 is the new free, easy to remember number to call when you need help or advice urgently but itʼs not a life-threatening situation. When should you use NHS 111
People should use the NHS 111 service if they need help or advice urgently but itʼs not a life-threatening situation. You should call 111 if:
a itʼs not a 999 emergency
a you donʼt think it can wait for an appointment with your GP, or a you donʼt know who to call for medical help
For less urgent health needs, you should still contact your GP or dentist in the usual way.
For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, patients should dial 999.
Phonebox Magazine 63