Rutland County Council underspent by £442,000
The Council significantly upped its budget following Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Last updated 17th Jul 2023
Rutland County Council underspent by £442,000 last year, after it significantly increased it's budget due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Director for resources Kirsty Nutton shared the 'revenue and capital outturn' report when the Council's strategic overview and scrutiny committee met on Thursday (13th).
She revealed there was a £442,000 underspend against the allocated budget.
The budget was agreed by the full council in February as £42,345,000 - but increased in November to £44,012,000.
It was increased after Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to "global economic turmoil" and "significant inflationary pressures" according to Ms Nutton.
Spending came in at £43,570,000 - which while less than budgeted is still more than the original figure.
Councillor Karen Payne (Conservative) asked "I'm pleased that we've put an innovative reserve fund of £2.5 million to offset future issues, but because this is taxpayers' money how do you propose to ensure that they see a demonstrable return on that money?"
Councillor Andrew Johnson (Lib Dem) replied "We're working on a process, and I have personal experience in making cost-saving schemes work and making sure that people get value for money.
"Part of what we need to do is to demonstrate that council tax payers are getting value for money".