By Cllr Duffy
Over the last 10 years we have seen major cuts in
government support. To a degree it is amazing how the council have successfully
delivered services on many fronts particularly in Adult Social Care (indeed all
social care) against the backdrop of an increasing demand. In my opinion we
have also delivered improving services in our housing department, by taking the
service in-house. Also the MetPatrol plus scheme seems worth while and should
be affective once it fully operational , both of these without cutting workers
wages.
However in my opinion the administration has made
many mistakes, their first mistake was the failure to increase the Council Tax
in 2014/15 to ensure we kept up with inflation and mitigated some of the government
cuts. The first budget I was involved in 15/16 was frozen, while at the same
time we were arguing the government had cut our grant to excessively. It is
strange that the Leader of the council argued against raising the council tax
with one member close to the leader saying they had to make
"sandwiches for children at their school" and those pupils would
suffer (they must have never heard of pupil premium ) if we put up the Council
Tax by 25p a week.It very strange the same member who is now a member of
the cabinet is putting it up 84p a week tonight and says nothing now...I could
never understand that argument as it lack any financial or intelligent basis
and was a serious mistake.
The mistake cost Brent Council over £4 million
pound of income, over the last three years. If the Labour group had a financial
and intelligent debate instead of the leadership steamrolling the
decision through, the council would be in a better financial position for the
last 2 years and would have more freedom on the level of council Tax
tonight.
The administration somehow fail to understand
because of government cuts it is important we produce policies that produce
VFM,looked for additionally and even partnerships and above all smart
management to improved service outcomes. The Labour administration fail to
understand their role is to instruct officers on the priorities of our
residents and not for officers to instruct the administration on their priorities.The
Cabinet continue to believe if their policies fail they can always make the
resident pay via the council Tax to fund their failures.
For instances the attempted to privatise the
Environment Enforcement Service employment by employing Kingdom Securities and
cutting wages by 40% cost the council over £100k. So to make the money back the
cabinet have decided to punish the residents for their own mistake.They have
introduced a £35 charge for Household Bulky collections. The charged should
be dropped because in the medium and long -term it will increase
street dumping and residents should not be punished for failed policies.
The other problem remains that the
cabinet have no co-ordinated approach to Environmental Enforcement, a
schools environmental awareness programme or a street cleaning protocol and
just rely on increasing costs to the residents. These issue are of low cost and
should be funded by partnerships.
Green bins another service that the cabinet
continue to increase charges to cover-up their lack of management. I have
always believed the rule is when you raise an Environmental Tax's they
were based on the polluter pays. However this administration have change they
rule into Environmental tax's means the recycler pays .I believe by cutting
the cost to £25 a year for a bin and increasing participation to above
45% would make it cost neutral.
It is now clear they over the last two years
we having been burying many residents in builders rubble ( including
Asbestos) while charging them for burial in earth The cost of that unethical
behaviour will cost up to £900k in lost revenue and the removal of the
contaminated waste. As usual the cabinet have come with a scheme to cover the
costs by putting up burial charges for residents when that are at their most vulnerable.
Again the cabinet making the residents pay for their own mistakes , they did
not transport the contaminated waste to Paddington Cemetery the council did.
The increase in burial charges should be dropped .I
believe the costs for the remedial works in Paddington Cemetery can still be
managed within excising budgets over a three year period, with increase revenue
for new burials once the contaminated waste has been removed. The council
should not increase charges until they can guarantee the internal processes
within the Cemetery service have improved.
The Conservative party argue that we should cut the
reserves, in my view the reserves should stay and they are should be
earmarked for the upgrading of fire prevention council housing blocks. Its
approx.8 months since Grenfell fire disaster and all councillors should
remember the council took the decision that the cost would not fall on
the Housing Revenue Account alone and would fall on the general rates , if the
government refused to pay for the improvements .
Also remembering after the fallout from Grenfell
senior politicians from all political parties said they have learn the lessons
and communities like Grenfell will not be ignored .Therefore it is
important that the cabinet are not allowed to raid South Kilburn CIL which is
due to the area following the regeneration works .This money was allocated to
Kilburn because the residents have lived in a building site over the last few
years and is their money .The Kilburn CIL should not be used by the
cabinet to cover up their inability to get additional [funding] and sponsorship
and should be earmarked for Kilburn or other areas of deprivation. I hope the
other 2 Kilburn councillors will argue for this and show empathy and solidarity
with the residents of Kilburn and not allow much needed resources to be robbed
from those in most need.
I will be voting for the 3.99% rise, as I remain hopeful the Labour group will
call the cabinet to account and stop them passing the costs of their failure
onto the council taxpayer.
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