The Conservative group leader and Conservative candidate for the Scottish Elections in 2021 Cllr Tim Eagle has highlighted his concern as the first predictions of the full year effects of COVID-19 come to the emergency committee on Moray Council this week. The paper from the chief financial officer uses best possible data to extrapolate the potential full year costs to the council in relation to the virus.
Commenting is Cllr Tim Eagle (Buckie Ward) – “This is not the first paper which has come to the council regarding the financial impact of Coronavirus. However it is the first to work out the likely full years costs of the virus and it is a staggering £5.5m. For a council which has struggled with the poor allocations from the SNP over the years that is a lot.
“Mobilising the response to Coronavirus cost the council just over £1.5million with lost income in the region of £2.5million. Looking forward the council predict nearly £1.2million in recovery costs and this is unlikely to take into account the full range of recovery options that locally we would like to consider in terms of schools and the economy.
“The last thing we want in Moray is for more in- year savings but equally It will be a real shame if we are forced to use the last of our reserves, much of which is already planned for use in order to balance our budget.
“There is only one place to look for support and that is the SNP Scottish Government. Local Authorities provide a huge range of vital local services and coming out of lockdown it is more essential than ever for them to be fully funded so they can make local choices on strengthening the economy, protecting jobs and rebuilding services.
“It is not acceptable to be in a position where for the next few months our officers work on detailed plans to try and balance our budget for the SNP to then wade in with some cash. They must commit to providing the finances councils need right now so we can get on with providing the services local people truly need and want.
“There is no question, the blame cannot be shifted to Westminster. This is a devolved area and the SNP need to dig deeper and support local regeneration as we all move out of lockdown and back towards some degree of normality.”
