It’s “far too early” for Bedford Borough Council’s new Conservative administration to share its budget plans, a meeting heard.
At this week’s Executive Meeting (June 21), Cllr Michael Headley (LibDem, Putnoe) asked what the new Conservative administration’s approach will be to delivering “the savings needed to balance the budget next year”.
“Including what your saving target is, what areas will you be looking at to cut, and what’s the cost of your manifesto commitments in your so-called fully costed manifesto, that will increase the need for deeper cuts,” he said.
Councillor Graeme Coombes (Conservative, Wixams & Wilstead), the portfolio holder for finance, risk and welfare, said: “I think it is far too early to say, obviously we have only just taken over from the previous administration.
“We are going through the financial picture, it is not a great picture, we have a £2.3 million overspend on last year which happened on your watch, I might remind you.”
Councillor Headley was portfolio holder for finance in the last administration.
Councillor Coombes added: “We are the ones that have to deal with that even though it was something that took place under the previous administration.
“So watch this space Councillor Headley, you will get an answer to your questions in due course.
“But you were the portfolio holder until just a few weeks ago, so you know exactly the state of this Borough’s finances and whatever has gone beforehand has gone on on your watch.
“I would hope that we would be much more prudent and manage the borough’s finances in a much better way, and I look forward to being able to deliver that in due course,” he said.
Councillor Headley responded: “I was very concerned to hear the current portfolio holder talking about it being too early, too early, to have developed these sort of ideas of how to make the savings.
“In terms of the council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), which hopefully the portfolio holder and the mayor have read, you’ve got until September to come up with your savings options.
“You’ve had a month and a half of that already, you’re approaching halfway through the time you’ve got.
“It’s very concerning and will be very concerning to residents, to hear that you think it is too early to have made much progress.
“You need to hit the ground running, and you haven’t done and I can certainly can’t see any evidence of that from the comments that I’ve heard tonight
“Getting a balanced budget is one of the most fundamental building blocks of running a council and I’m not seeing that you’re able to achieve that,” he said.
Bedford mayor, Tom Wootton (Conservative) said: “That’s heart-warming that you are so concerned for us.
“We’ve just been through an election process where those sorts of speeches went on and on and on, and the people have made their choice.
“We’re sitting in these seats, we’ve got to drive this council now, and we’ve got to make these decisions now,” he said.
Councillor Coombes said: “We will look to put a budget together going forward where we make sure that we’re able to deliver our commitments, but also that we are robust, and we have to get this spending under control.
“Because it’s quite clear that the previous administration didn’t,” he said.
