Council launches latest blog discussion – public access to council services
The Highland Council has launched the latest topic on its budget blog as part of the Council’s Budget Consultation. From Monday 10 September, the public are being asked whether the Council could achieve savings by providing more services through the Post Office or other local outlets and closing Council facilities.
The blog is being moderated by Councillor Dave Fallows, Chairman of the Council’s Finance Housing and Resources Committee, who is seeking views on a different topic each week.
He said: “We are committed to improving how the public access Council services. Part of this is about making it easier for the public to contact the Council, for example via the telephone or online, but we have also increased the number of places that people can pay for Council services, for example at Post Offices or Paypoints. Although changing the way people pay for Council services has improved access and choice, it has also helped us save money. One question for the blog this week is whether we should be providing more Council services through the Post office or other outlets and that if we were to increase access in this way, should we consider closing some existing Council facilities?
“Another point to consider is that, as more and more people have access to technology, could we save money by e-billing? We could set up a system where you could download, print, or view on-line any bill from the council - your council tax is an obvious one, or your house rent - and view your current balance, with an option, possibly, to make payments on-line as well. This may seem a small thing, but avoiding the print and postage costs on several tens of thousands of bills soon mounts up. Would you be supportive of a move to introduce e-billing, provided that traditional options continued to be provided for those who need them?”
The blog is a forum for discussion during the Council’s budget consultation, which runs until 31 October. The aim of the consultation is to help bridge a budget gap of around £30 million in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
Three budget consultation meetings are due take place this week. They are at the Norseman Hotel in Wick on Tuesday 11 September, Talla nan Ros in Kingussie on Wednesday 12 September and at Durness Village Hall on Thursday 13 September. All three meetings start at 6.30 pm.
Information on the Council’s budget consultation is on the Council’s website at http://www.highland.gov.uk/budget2012.htm