You'll probably see a lot of stuff about the setting of the council tax for next year in the local papers, but we thought it might be a good opportunity to tell you a few things about the recent settlement.
- A council has to set a legal budget
- We were told by the Director of Finance that a rise less than 3.99% would put council services in jeopardy
- We believe that there are waste and inefficiencies in this council
So what does the new budget actually meant to the people of Katesgrove?
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Did you know that Katesgrove has 4 Neighbourhood Action Groups which set the police priorities for this area? No, we didn't think you knew either. NAGs have no communications budgets, so we demanded that NAGs have a budget to canvass and improve community participation. Conquering the fear of crime and making the police understand local priorites is half the battle won.
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Wondered why there is so much fly-tipping in Katesgrove? It's because the council doesn't take into account any difference between a retired banker and someone on housing benefit when it comes to the cost of removing fridges, cookers, mattresses and sofas. No wonder people dump things on the streets.
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And when things are are dumped, who is going to sort it out? Well, no one actually. It's why we need a dedicated and properly co-ordinated 'green hit squad' that will pick up trash and fine miscreants.
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Wondered why the Carlos Fandango runs of Kendrick Road and Northumberland Avenue have the rat running speed demons racing past schools? It's because the speed cameras don't work and there are not enough speed guns for the police. Forget the revenue earning cameras, because we don't think they should be there other than to catch dangerous drivers, but there are places where speed really needs to be checked and speed guns are the way to do it. Our budget has provided the means.
Admitedly there are also some that don't agree with us that the council should have reserves and that monies should be given back to residents, but this is false economy. All the smart money is on this council spending more than they have budgeted for this year, what with the recession and the call on the council's resources in this economic crisis. To not have a reserve means that next year there will have to be vicious cuts and job losses, not as part of a planned process but as a necessary slash and burn budget.
If there are savings to be made we want it to be as part of a properly planned and costed programme. It's why we also demanded a deep and wide ranging review of council budgets. The people of Reading deserve to know what they are getting for their money.
If you have specific questions please feel free to email either Gareth or Warren. We have nothing to hide and are happy to talk about our group's position and explain exactly why we have done what we have done. I suspect that any responses to the same questions from the other parties will be met with mealey mouthed platitudes and bullet dodging.
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