Budget consultation meeting at Tain

The Highland Council holds the third in a series of 14 budget consultations at a meeting of its Tain and Easter Ross Ward Forum on Monday 24 May.

The meeting is being held at the Duthac Centre, Tain and begins at 7.30pm. In the chair will be Councillor Alasdair Rhind, one of three ward members for Tain and Easter Ross.

The theme of the meeting is “The implications of the budget for The Highland Council” and in attendance to outline the challenges and respond to questions will be Council Convener Sandy Park;  Budget Leader David Alston, Chief Executive, Alistair Dodds, and Depute Chief Executive and Director of Finance, Alan Geddes.

They will highlight that having already identified savings of £24 million, they still need to bridge a gap of £36 million in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

A budget briefing document is being produced to support the exercise.  It will set out the challenges facing the council and pose some key budget questions.

The consultation will run until the end of June and the Council aims to make decisions on the budget savings in the autumn of this year.  In addition, a new Citizens’ Panel is being asked for its views. Already more than 2,000 people have indicated a willingness to take part.

Council staff and trade unions will continue to be encouraged to identify where savings can be made.

Councillor Alston said: “We want to engage with as wide an audience as possible in setting out the unprecedented budget challenges we will face over the coming years and to listen to what the public have to say about the options we will be presenting.”

Every Community Council in the Tain and Easter Ross Ward and other representative community organisations are members of the Ward Forum and have the opportunity to feed the views of their community into the subjects being discussed.

Anyone who has an enquiry about the Tain & Easter Ross Ward Forum; would like to submit questions in advance of the meeting; or have any special requirements/needs to help them take part, should contact Carol Elliot, Ward Manager, at Tain Service Point or by phoning 01349 886643.