Council have allowed some basic errors to be accepted in the budget considerations.
Council have previously asked that staff trim $2m from the budget only to have the CEO turn it back on Council by asking that they identify the areas that should be cut.
Councillors then get immersed in detail more properly the area for Council staff. But it is effective as a 'No, or little Change” budget results.
In preparing the budget the normal approach is what work are we going to do and what resources do we need to do that. TCC appear to adopt the practice of saying we have 450 staff and what do we need to keep them occupied . The question of need or even desired is not relevant, only the need to keep them employed and not even gainfully employed.
The work is calculated so as to keep the 450 staff occupied.
A glance at any task will show 1 or 2 working with 4 to 6 watching and about 6 pieces of plant on site sitting idle, or some beautification being done just for the sake of giving people work.
At the moment the Council loves traffic lights which are now popping up to allow access to specific shops.The hugely expensive traffic lights at Brookfield are a reminder of their approach.
A simple solution was available instead we have a system of progressing through a green light to the next light which is red. Other lights have similar phasings, green to red.
Lets hope the new Councillors can set budget guidelines and ensure the Staff adhere to them. We just might get a slowing down of the enormous increases predicted.
Stuart Keene, Cherrywood.