The Lib Dems put forward two amendments to the Conservative Mayor’s budget for Torbay. Sadly both amendments were defeated by the Conservative Council, who chose to keep all the cuts they had proposed in their budget.
Lib Dem Proposed Amendment to Revenue Budget Proposal 2012/2013:
(i) That the Revenue Budget for 2012/13 be amended to include:
(a) £655,000 allocated to Adult Social Care to support the transformations to domiciliary care and residential and nursing home placements. £500,000 of this allocation will support one of initiatives and will not be used to support ongoing commitments.
(b) £85,000 (50% of the original proposal to reduce Library Services) allocated back to the Library Service;
(c) a one off contribution of £100,000 to establish aSouth Devon Link Roademployment opportunity fund to be administered by the Torbay Development Agency.
(d) £10,000 to reinstate the out of hours service for environmental health emergencies; and
(e) £200,000 to fund concessionary bus fares to reduce the proposed cut from £400,000 to £200,000.
(ii) That the following funding be allocated to support the spending identified in (i) above:
- the Executive Head Finance to identify approximately 2% of Council reserves to achieve £500,000 to be allocated to Adult Social Care (part of (a) above) and £100,000 to the South Devon Link Road Employment opportunity fund ((c) above).
- the Commissioner of Place and Environment be requested to negotiate a reduction of £100,000 in the grant allocated to the Riviera International Conference Centre. This funding to be used for: Adult Social Care (£55,000) (part of (a) above); Library Service (£35,000) (part of (b) above); and out of hours service for environmental health emergencies (£10,000) ((d) above);
- the Executive Head Finance to review the Treasury Management Budget with a view to making an additional income of £150,000. This income to be used for Library Service (£50,000) (part of (b) above) and £100,000 of this be allocated to the Adult social care (part of (a) above); and
- the Executive Head Finance allocates £200,000 from the £500,000 budget contingency fund for concessionary bus fares (e) above.
Proposer: Councillor Darling
Seconder: Councillor Pentney
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Lib Dem Proposed Amendment to Capital Plan Budget 2012/13 to 2015/16
(i) That the Executive Head Finance be requested not to allocate any Capital Plan Budget from the £2 million identified for employment schemes to the Riviera International Conference Centre; and
(ii) That the Executive Head Finance be requested to allocate £252,000 to fund a councillor community fund for 2012/13 and this be funded from the £2 million employment scheme fund from within the Capital Plan Budget. The councillor community fund to provide £7,000 allocation to each councillor towards community needs within their ward and the Executive Head Finance is requested to identify funding for this project in future years.
Proposer: Councillor Darling
Seconder: Councillor Pentney
