Plus: Winchester’s woeful welcome. Test Valley Borough Council in Hampshire has managed to cut its stationery costs by £55,000.
Plus: Mismanagement continues in Slough. Bassetlaw Council spends £320,000 to improve the energy efficiency of a golf club it owns.
Council staff and administrators are often handling the financial transactions via the payroll. It gives a motive to push spending up.
Local residents need to know what their council is up to and how well portfolios are performing. Proper oversight is lacking.
Croydon has a “Cultural Transformation Engagement Programme” – and there’s more elsewhere.
Plus: The move to monthly bin collections in Stirling is unjustified, given the high Council Tax that residents pay.
2018-19’s accounts are still unaudited. Who knew about the massive black hole in the council’s finances?
Plus: Sheffield Council is wasting high street improvements funding on PR. A glimmer of hope in Croydon.
Plus: the Public Accounts Committee fails to challenge Council waste. Nottingham still in the lead for extortionate tax.
Plus: Local authorities have deficits of over half a billion pounds. Police and Crime Commissioners should not be forced to employ deputies.
With new leadership in many local areas, there is lots of potential for bold and innovative ways to save money.
Plus: Waltham Forest’s proposed “consultancy support for a strategic reset” sounds like something from David Brent.
Nottingham City Council paid nine staff over £100,000 a year. What did local taxpayers get for their money? A failed council-owned energy company.