GREEN councillors have demanded that the Deputy First Minister witness the extent of cuts facing Glasgow at an emergency summit on Wednesday.
Green councillors are seeking a debate with Glasgow’s MSPs on the budget gap of £100 million and the associated cuts being forced on services provided by the city council.
They say there must be further discussion on the process to secure a funding uplift and additional powers to avoid these service cuts.
The Green group within the council claims that an insufficient settlement is being handed down to Glasgow and other councils across Scotland by the Scottish Government, which will lead to vital services being slashed.
Current proposals to mitigate the shortfall, they say, would result in a rise to council tax.
In a letter to John Swinney – as well as MSPs from across Glasgow - sent by the group on Sunday councillors said: “The estimated budget gap is around £35m, meaning that the entire budget gap in the city is nearly £100m.
“That’s money that will have to be taken from services unless it can be found in a different way.”
Councillor Martha Wardrop, co-leader of the Glasgow Green councillors group, said: “The budget gap in the city for the next financial year is nearly £100m.
“We have to avoid money being taken from council services due to the cost of living as well as health and wellbeing impacts. We need support from our MSPs to deliver investment in local public services.
“We expect SNP councillors will put forward proposals that will cut vital services to the bone, Labour councillors - elected to represent the people of this city - will take no interest in the most important budget this city has ever seen. What an embarrassing dereliction of duty.
“Other parties may be content to blame the Scottish Government or pull cheap stunts, but these will not help the people of Glasgow.”
Councillor Jon Molyneux, co-leader of the Glasgow Green councillors group, added: “Green councillors have been working hard in an impossible situation for months as we try to find a solution. We cannot - and will not - support a budget which puts this city and its people at risk.
“But there is only so much we can do. Without more revenue raising powers - alongside the need for council tax to be scrapped and replaced with a more progressive local property tax - local authorities are relying on the Scottish Government to do all they can. In this case, their proposals are not good enough.
“We hope that Mr Swinney will recognise the desperate position his government has left our city in. We invite him to visit Glasgow on Wednesday, witness the services his government are putting at risk, and work with councillors to find a solution.”
