How Moray Council's next budget could affect you
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Brown bin charges are definitely going up – and Moray's recycling centres could potentially open a day less each week.
In addition, the area's mobile library could be withdrawn, while support for the Duke of Edinburgh award faces being scaled back.
The local authority's next budget in February or March will be set against a backdrop of having to find £15million of savings over the next two years.
The council is asking for public feedback between now and Friday, November 22 on the various cutbacks it is proposing.
These are:
- Reducing hours at the recycling centres in Elgin, Buckie, Forres, Keith and Dallachy, and closing them one weekday each week: £50,000/year
- Reducing support for animal health services: £30,000/year.
- Reducing its community training budget and its support for participatory budgeting: £90,000/year.
- Taking a 'commercialised' approach to industrial rent: £65,000/year.
- Retiring the mobile library bus: £20,000/year.
- Reducing the service that supports outdoor learning and the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme: £115,000/year.
- Reduce size of the customer service team: £114,000/year.
Moray Council has decided to increase the brown bin charge to £50, having previously kept the cost of its garden waste permits frozen for the past two years at £36.
In relation to the increased charge, Kathleen Robertson, Moray Council's leader, said: "We’ve been saying for some time now that next year we’re facing the toughest budget setting challenge we’ve seen for many years."
Cllr Robertson (Forres, Conservative) said the price had been frozen previously in the hope it would encourage more people to buy a permit – but that hadn't happened.
She added: "It’s simply not possible to continue to deliver the same level of service without an increase next year. In the same way that household costs have risen, so have our operating costs.
"I hope it’s a given that this decision, as with all our budget decisions this year, hasn’t been taken lightly.
"Our engagement with residents shows people are willing to see increases to their garden waste permit to avoid a reduction in service, so we’re taking that feedback on board."
More than 1500 local residents completed in full a council survey during September.
Of these 60% answered that they would be prepared to pay more if it protected services. A total of 44% indicated they would accept a "moderate to significant" increase.
A second survey in relation to the proposed cuts in services can be filled in HERE
Meanwhile, fuller details about them can be found HERE
The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete and closes at 5pm on Friday, November 22.
