The Kintyre Forum

Good news for weary Council Tax payers who were being lined up by the Liberal/Independent/Tory administration as financial patsies to cover their own financial incompetence

Argyll News has the story here - Councillor George Freeman's comments under 'Responses' are particularly pertinent.

http://forargyll.com/2011/03/scottish-g ... et-crisis/

Council welcomes one-off payment from Scottish government
Argyll and Bute Council has welcomed news that the Scottish government has awarded it an additional £2.455 million.

The one-off payment was made in recognition that Argyll and Bute Council received a higher-than-expected budget reduction in 2011-12.

Councillor Dick Walsh, leader of the council, welcomed the news. He said:

“After continued dialogue with the Scottish Government we are delighted that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance has reviewed the position and awarded us this additional money.

”We have said from the outset that Argyll and Bute Council’s settlement was unduly harsh – almost double the average percentage reduction for all Scottish councils.

“Over the next few weeks we will consider how this money will be spent to deliver the council’s priorities in a sustainable way.”

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In November Argyll and Bute Council learned its settlement allocation would be £220.059m – £11.429m lower than 2010-11.

The average reduction across Scottish councils was 2.59%.

The Scottish Government announced in February it had awarded an additional £1.308 million to Argyll and Bute Council, giving the council a total budget of £260 million, once council tax and other income was included.

Argyll and Bute Council made savings of £12 million in setting its budget.