The Scottish Conservative group in the Highland Council has produced a fully-costed budget proposal that would cut Council Tax, invest £42m in roads, halt the seven-times inflation increase to childcare fees, prevent childcare staff cuts, address rollout delay, and stop the upheaval for Education.
It’s time to speak out against the Lib Dem led budget, which the SNP group announced their support for before it was publicly released.
Inverness had the highest rate of people supported by the UK Government’s Furlough Scheme, and the rest of the Highlands was similarly high.
This Council cannot be serious about supporting people back into work if it hikes fees and cuts childcare places. This alone could bring economic and household recovery to a halt.
It’s making these cuts at the same time as growing reserves nearly 10 -fold from little over a year ago.
This kind of crisis is why Councils have reserves. COVID is a '1 in a 100 year' event: this Council cannot hoard cash and fleece hard-pressed households at the same time. It’s just so wrong.