Glasgow Council Budget Revealed

Scotland's largest council has agreed its spending plans for the next financial year. Glasgow City Council said jobs, education and roads were a priority as it sought to make savings of £28.9 million in 2015/16. This included inflation totalling #8.6 million and unavoidable'' costs of £7 million. The Labour-controlled authority said members agreed to spend £12 million on dealing with potholes, the payment of a £100 winter fuel dividend for everyone in the city aged 80 and older; and funding to maintain teacher numbers. Measures approved included increasing the Glasgow Living Wage to £7.85 an hour and funding for the council's #50 million Glasgow Guarantee employment and apprenticeship scheme. Protesters holdingNo Cuts'' placards and banners gathered outside the City Chambers earlier. Council leader Gordon Matheson said it was only thanks to clear political leadership and sound financial planning'' that the council had not sufferedsubstantial damage'' to services in recent years. Mr Matheson said: We are investing in the priorities that we share with the people of Glasgow - jobs, education, roads and looking after our vulnerable residents.Glasgow is Scotland's big success story. Our City Deal is an exciting development but we could do so much more to grow our economy and tackle poverty. Unfortunately, the government in Edinburgh continues to redistribute cash to other areas of Scotland which, frankly, contribute much less than Glasgow to the Scottish economy and have lower concentrations of poverty.It's been estimated that the Scottish Government has faced a 10% real-terms reduction in its budget over the last five years. However, over the same period Scottish councils have faced a 24% cut. If Glasgow received the same percentage share of the available local government budget in Scotland this year as we did in 2008, we would have an additional £109 million to spend on our vital public services.It's only as a result of clear political leadership and sound financial planning that we've survived the last few years with no really substantial damage to services.'' The council said the spending gap in the budget was £28.9 million, however a number of decisions taken by the council during the current financial year have implications for the 2015/16 budget''.Council services and arm's-length external organisations have identified a number of actions implemented under the delegated authority of officers,'' it said. While these measures do not alter the headline cut to council finances delivered by the Scottish Government, they did reduce the spending gap that needed to be addressed by budget proposals today to £4.6 million.'' Council tax remained frozen for the eleventh year running.