Savings recommendations considered

LIVERPOOL City Council’s Cabinet is being asked to approve budget options which will meet 60% of the savings it needs to make in 2012/13.  At a special meeting at 8am on Friday 25 November at Liverpool Town Hall, it is being recommended that options totalling £11.2 million are approved.  The proposals include improving income, procuring services at a lower price and carrying out service reviews to look at how departments can operate more efficiently and effectively to achieve a saving.  In addition, the council will save a further £19.5 million by updating its financial planning assumptions and reducing the amount of money set aside for contingencies and liabilities.  In total, the recommendations will deal with almost £31 million of the £50 million that needs to be found next year.  Council Leader Joe Anderson said:- "When we announced the £90 million of options which officers brought forward, the budget working group agreed to whittle them down and agree the easier options quite quickly.  But people need to know that these are not just efficiencies and will still have an impact on the way the council functions. It will mean the introduction of charges for some services, or that it will take us longer to do some things.  If you take money out of the support functions of the organisation it will have an impact on the service which people receive. That is why these are decisions we are taking now, rather than last year. We have also had a long, hard look at the money that we hold for contingencies and liabilities and made a decision to reduce it where it is prudent and sensible to do so.  We are taking these decisions now because in conversations with partners they have told us that they are better able to deal with decisions when we give them as much notice as possible. It also enables us to get the maximum benefit from the savings in the next financial year and means we can concentrate our efforts on the more difficult decisions for the remaining £20 million that we have to find.  I want to make sure we have as much information as possible about each proposal to fully evaluate it, before deciding whether we can’t afford to continue it, or where we need to change the standard of service. Rather than salami slicing services each year, we are taking a longer term view which enables us to look ahead and envisage where we will be in 2015."

A special full council meeting will be held on 12 December and asked to approve the recommendations.  In addition to the £50 million of savings which need to be found for 2012-13, the council estimates it will need to find a further £18.5 million in 2013-14 and £33.3 million in 2014-15.  It means total savings of almost £102 million over the next 3 years on top of the £91 million that had to be found during 2011-12.  Further joint budget working party discussions involving the ruling Labour administration and the Liberal Party will be held, and broadcast on the internet.  Consultation events for stakeholders and elected members will also be held over the next few weeks and a further Public Question Time will take place in January 2012.  People can write to Budget Views, Liverpool City Council, Chief Executive’s Office, Municipal Buildings, Liverpool, L2 2DH or by email.  A ‘You Choose’ online budget calculator has also been launched (liverpool.gov.uk/budget) so residents can have a go at ‘balancing the budget’ and have a say about the services that are important to them, and where they think the council can save money.  The council will set its overall budget for 2012/13 in March 2012.

Veterans Christmas Lunch...

THE event is to be held in the Royal Clifton Hotel on Thursday the 22 December 2011, from 13:00 for 13:30, all Veterans and their guests are very welcome. The cost is £15 per person for a 3 course Christmas lunch with tea and coffee plus the chance to socialise with other like minded people from local associations and ex-service organisations. For further information please contact S Hawkshaw on:- 0791 491 8381.