Council budget to be revealed
David Moroney • Published 9 Feb 2012 10:32
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INVERCLYDE Council will today set a budget for the next two years - including spending an additional £9 million.
Councillors are to agree how and where around £135 million of public cash will be spent during the next two years.
The council announced last week that an additional £9m could be invested in a series of 'one-off' projects as part of the budget.
It is understood that the current Labour-led administration is intending to allocate additional funding for road improvements and flooding as part of their budget proposals for the coming two years.
The budget is also expected to outline further spending on major projects, such as the schools estate and leisure facilities.
Council officials and management last week put forward a number of proposals for one-off projects, including £3m for capital projects, £1m for the refurbishment of the Watt Complex in Greenock and £300,000 towards building a new community facility in Inverkip.
The ruling administration, with a majority of councillors, is expected to have its budget proposals approved.
Opposition SNP and Lib Dem groups will make proposals on how to spend the additional cash, although neither are understood to have held direct talks with the administration in a bid to influence their budget.
In their proposals, the SNP want to see £1m spent on council apprenticeships, £500,000 towards high-priority flooding areas, £650,000 for an internal upgrade to Port Glasgow Town Hall and £400,000 to refurbish shopfronts in Inverclyde's housing estates.
A freeze in council tax will be rubber-stamped during today's meeting, in line with Scottish Government policy.
The meeting is set to take place in the Municipal Buildings, Greenock, pictured, at 4pm today.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 09 Feb 12
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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RABCARSWELL
74 posts
Feb 9, 11:38
Report commentWhat a coincidence,an additional £9 million "found" in the run up to the local government elections in May.
It will be interesting to note what priority projects the public want this money spent on.
It will be equally interesting to see if the current administration can resist the temptation it use it to buy votes. Heaven forbid!
Recommend?
Yes 17
No 3
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askelvis
456 posts
Feb 9, 12:22
Report commentHow the hell can you just find an extra 9 million pound was it under the tea trolley. That money should have been spent on matters at the time and not saved up for an election year
Recommend? Yes 15
No 2
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Argyll1854
61 posts
Feb 9, 12:28
Report commentSpend it on the roads before anything else
Recommend? Yes 7
No 1
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Merlin
144 posts
Feb 9, 16:25
Report commentThe roads definitely need to be upgraded. Far too many potholes that result in major damage to vehicles with only a few owners actually having the patience to claim the Council for the full amount of damages. Motorists are already taxed in Fuel Duty, V.A.T., Vehicle Excise Duty and so on without having to dodge their way around all the bad repairs on Inverclyde streets. If any firm digs up the tarmac for gas, cable, water, etc., etc., they should be made to reinstate the surface to its previous standard or better. Much better that than doling out a penny to junkies and alkies who only have themselves to blame.
And what's all this rubbish about new schools having to be built? How about improving some of the old buildings? Granted, the 'new' Greenock High on Inverkip Road was a disaster on the day it opened (so the education authority should never have accepted it), but what was so bad about the original sandstone GHS in Dunlop Street that it had to be demolished? What numpties are spending our money for us?
Recommend? Yes 3
No 0
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alex2123
187 posts
Feb 10, 00:24
Report commentToo true,Merlin. what was WRONG with that building on dunlop st? It was my high school back in the 60's, a lovely substantial building
Recommend? Yes 2
No 0
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