South Ayrshire Council Leader Martin Dowey declared himself pleased with the outcome of yesterday's budget setting, despite difficult decisions that were required to balance the books.
Cllr Dowey said that the key tenets of his party's manifesto had been realised - despite criticism from opponents - including giving towns and communities a placemaking fund they could direct to their own priorities.
He also lauded finance spokesperson, Councillor Ian Davis, for his presentation of the budget, a shift from the usual role taken by the leader.
Some key figures from the revenue budget agreed by council on Wednesday:
- Council Tax to rise by 5% (Band D up from £1383 in 22/23 to £1453 in 23/24)
- Rents up 1.5%
- Bereavement service and commercial waste charges up by 5%
- School meals increased by 20p across primary and secondary
- Cuts to school cleaning of £248k
- Road permit charges and inspection fees up by 10%
- Review of Thriving Communities service - £300k saving
- Review and reduction of external housing support - £117k
- Corporate fees and charges up 5%
In what was the first budget of the Conservative and Independent Administration, councillors were greeted with three separate budget proposals from the administration, the main opposition SNP, and Labour.
The first words from Provost Iain Campbell were to be prophetic as he informed members that legal advice had been sought on the role of the Provost and any casting vote.
In the end it was Provost Campbell's vote that swung it in favour of the administration - with yet another key council vote reaching a 14-14 stalemate.
The vote meant that a number of key charge increases, cuts and investments were given the green light.
In preparing the budget, finance chief Tim Baulk had set the planned expenditure at £233.5m - not including money given to the South Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership.
This was an increase on last year's budgeted expenditure of £208m and included £6.6m for pay awards and payroll, £10.78m in additional investment and expenditure pressures, including £250k for September's airshow and £1.492m in utility bill rises.
A further £12.5m will be spent in education, funded by the ring-fenced Scottish Government grants, while debt charges amount to £1.2m.
The increase in council tax is estimated to increase income by around £4.2m.
The administration also opted to make use of a one off rebate on its payments for PPP schools debt, after it opted to extend the length of time to make the payments to 40 years in December.
That will see £5m in additional revenue income in 2023/24, with plans for £4m, £3m and £2m of the money in the following three years. This decision also reduces the recurring payments by £2m a year.
A further £1.12m of uncommitted reserves was also utilised, with £5.41m to be addressed by the cuts, savings and charge increases.
Many of the agreed cuts and savings were around the non-filling and removal of vacant posts, reductions to a range of administration budgets, service reviews.
There will also be a cut of 10 per cent to the devolved school management budget, while £170k will be saved by reducing eligibility for school clothing grants to national levels.
The council will also try to increase the uptake of paid school meals through promotion, to bring in another £102k.
At the same time, the council wants to bring in £70k by increasing meal prices by 20p.
The decision by the parties to propose their own budgets was unusual and caused some confusion when it came to the vote.
Councillors were first asked to vote on the two opposition budget plans, with the SNP proposal prevailing. The administration abstained during this vote.
However, Labour did back the SNP proposals when it was put up against the administration's plan.
As with a number of votes in the new term, councillors were split right down the middle, leaving the Provost to make the casting vote in favour of the administration.
The SNP and Labour budgets did agree with many of the proposals laid out in the administration but featured some key differences.
The SNP proposed £4.75m in savings, compared to the administration's £5.41m, as well as using £1.3m of reserves.
Labour's budget plan would have seen £3.57m in savings, but sought to use £3m of uncommitted reserves.
The SNP had proposed a four per cent rise in Council Tax, bringing in approximately £680k less than the administration's proposal. Labour matched the administration's five per cent hike.
Neither the SNP or Labour included the £250k for September's airshow.
Labour's proposals included the closure of Maybole public toilets, increasing the cost to use public toilets to 50p, increasing bereavement service charges by 10 per cent, ceasing the dredging and 'disposing' of Girvan Harbour, closing or transferring Maybole and Girvan golf courses, and stopping partnerships with Ayr, Marr and Carrick Rugby Clubs.
The SNP proposed cuts included increasing the cost of public toilets, remove school cross patrols, introduce a brown bin charge of £45, dispose of Girvan Harbour, end the installation of Christmas lights and increase the cost of on and off-street parking by 20 percent.
They also sought to close or transfer Maybole and Dalmilling golf courses and close Northfield Bowling Club.
Councillor Dowey asserted that the budget delivered on most of his party's manifesto pledges, specifically investment in Ayr Town Centre with £10m for the Citadel, improving esplanades, developing the Hourstons site and investing £1m in each ward.
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