THE ruling Conservatives were accused of “salami-slicing” the council’s budgets as it needs to find nearly £18m in savings in the next five years.
Liberal Democrat leader Simon Werner (Pinkneys Green) said the Tories were “slowly slicing” services as the Royal Borough needs to find major savings and increase council tax to the maximum permitted over the next few years.
Within the medium-term financial strategy, which sets out financial planning and management, it states £7.3m savings will need to be made next year, £1.8m in 2024/25, £2.9m in 2025/26, £3.1m in 2026/27, and £2.4m in 2027/28.
The report warns £3m could be added each year if government does not cover the additional costs from the adult social care reform, but this is a “guestimate”.
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Growing inflation and costs, consequences from the pandemic, and pressures on adult social care are to blame for this blackhole. The council also has low levels of reserves that are ‘insufficient’ to absorb financial pressures.
A loss in business rates of £7.2m as a “direct consequence” of Maidenhead’s regeneration is also to blame.
Speaking at a full council meeting on Tuesday, September 27, Cllr Werner said the Conservatives have been “rubbishing” ideas to get additional income and make savings while improving services at the same time, and are instead reducing services “cut by cut, by cut, by cut”.
With inflation and interest rates spiking and the pound dropping, Cllr Werner also said the report does not take these three factors that will “devastate” the council’s finances fully into account
He said the council has lost out about £40m as developers building within the Maidenhead town centre, where most of the development is happening, have not been taxed. Cllr Werner also said the Tories are selling council-owned land and assets off “cheap” and are refusing to insource services and sell its expertise to other councils and organisations.
Cllr Werner said: “We need a new broom sweeping through the corridors, saving this council from effective bankruptcy and the slow slice, slice, slice of our services.
“The residents are begging for a change in direction, and they are turning to us, the Independents and Liberal Democrats, to provide it.”
Council leader Andrew Johnson (Con: Hurley & Walthams) dismissed Cllr Werner’s comments as “cheap political shots,” saying it was his group that brought financial stability to the Royal Borough and are the only ones to bring forward “credible” plans.
He denies they are selling assets for cheap and have brought some services, like Project Centre, back in-house. He also said the Maidenhead regeneration raises capital and the adopted borough local plan enables the council review developer charges across the borough.
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Cllr Johnson said: “All I’ve heard is a lot of uncosted, unfunded spending commitments that are already starting to open up significant black holes within this authority.
“Maybe there are secret plans after all. Who knows what could be cooked up but all I know is we have a clear plan to stabilise the finances of this council.
“We are the ones taking the difficult decisions – and I can’t make any apologies for that – and we are now in exactly the same place as every other local authority in the country.”
“Every council is suffering. Every council is struggling to balance its budget,” he added.
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