Public and opposition Councillors not involved, rumours regarding huge sums moved to a 'farming review', economic crisis and its effects on families, job retention, service delivery and workers not debated.
The long standing arrangements for budget setting at Northumberland
County Council which included public debate at Local Area Committee meetings
countywide where the public can air their views on cuts, cash division,
localism, poverty and service reorganisations including how services will be
delivered in the medium term were removed from this year's local agendas.
Instead the Council is holding a full council meeting at its vast, empty,
expensive to run and recently flooded County Hall in Morpeth to nod through a
budget that will deliver ever more secrecy on how the detrimental rundown of
services to the public will be managed.
This reputationally damaging sudden change of accepted policy follows on from the Leader of Council, Councillor Glen Sandersons brag that he is cutting the wages bill by £1,000,000 from his management structure and seeking to lower the wages and costs bill of the Council by seeking an additional 400 redundancies which will kickstart his bragging rights over full compliance with his Governments 'Austerity 2' program
Our latest view around well connected Tory social media has brought up Councillor Sandersons wish to shift cash savings towards a review of farming in Northumberland following his Government's inability to manage post brexit subsidies to encourage greater levels of food production. It appears his urban centred Councillors including members of the 'Morpeth Mob' fear the backlash from this review will be detrimental to them on the doorsteps, but were sure it will be kept as secret as ever by the fractured Conservative group he manages with public cash who just like the sheep that will feature in his review will baa baa his budget through at the Council meeting.
This new higher level of secrecy from Northumberland Conservatives has denied opposition Councillors the opportunity to listen to the public debate and receive the information share required by all Councillors regarding the budget in a timely fashion. This disgraceful action has closed off the opportunity for alternative budgets to be formed that can consider the dire circumstances many people and their families find themselves in and how the tsunami effects of Councillor Sandersons slash-backs will affect them and how they will suffer during 2023 and beyond.
The Tories new change of direction is also very concerning to Parish Councils many of whom have taken on extra service delivery contracts with the County Council to to keep the 'Clean and Green' face of the County up to scratch as County Council budgets diminish through Governments easy option of hacking down Councils to shift cash onto levelling up infrastructure projects to falsely look as if they are delivering something to the public. Parish Councils also have to form their budgets without the complete service model knowledge of the Counties medium term future being revealed to them publicly so that they can be open with their public in a way the Conservatives in power don't fancy at all, 'because it's a secret'!.
How many County Councillor`s are Conservative Land Owners or Farmers or Solar Power Farm Company Owners, Peter Jackson, Glen Sanderson & Richard Watson Wearmouth to name but 3 if you check out Directors at Companies House for simple checking of facts.
ReplyDeleteIn 2009 all Land, Property & Cash in Bank of the Old 6 Council`s of Berwick upon Tweed, Alnwick Council, Tynedale Council, Castle Morpeth Council, Wansbeck Council & Blyth Valley Council were transferred to the New Unitary County Council of Northumberland. Then in 2010 NCC transferred back Allotments, Bus Shelters, Street Furniture (Litter Bins & Public Seats) Play Area`s & War Memorials all of which needed Refurbishing hence a Precept was allowed to be added to the Council Tax for each Town or Parish Council. Then in 2014 NCC Partnership Agreements were introduced with 5 year contracts 2014-2019 at £200,000 a year, then 2019-2024 at £252,000 a year in Blyth that is currently costing £373,000 in April 2022/April 2023. In April 2020 Cramlington Town Council decided they were no longer happy with its NCC Partnership Agreement that would have cost £380,000 in 2022/2023, but instead set up their own Cramlington 6 person Operational Team to carry out the NCC Partnership Agreement Work saving £265,000 a year that they now spend on improving Cramlington Town Council NE23 Area. The Grass Areas belong to NCC, the Highways & Foot Paths belong to NCC but Grass Cutting & Weed Killing of Foot Paths & the Public Highway as well as Street Cleaning with Hako & Scarab Vehicles are Council Tax, not Town & Parish Precept costs. It is clear that NCC have told Department Bosses to make savings & with the increases in NCC Partnership Agreements it is clear in Blyth Town Council NE24 who are still in contract with NCC Partnership Agreement Blyth are paying TWICE for Grass Cutting, Highway & Street Cleaning & Weed Killing as that is a BASIC SERVICE out of the Council Tax & NOT the TOWN & PARISH PRECEPT they receive out of the Council Tax. Time Town & Parish Councillor`s woke up to the truth of what NCC Partnership Agreements are really doing when Law States Council Tax households pay is for BASIC SERVICE LEVEL that NCC must provide. Cramlington Town Councillor`s worked it out & saved £265,000, wake up other Town & Parish Councils.
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