Last night Worcester City Council met again by zoom. The biggest item on the agenda was this year’s budget. It’s been a tough financial year this year and we can expect at least the next financial year to be just as tough. Our costs have gone up and income is down. Despite some cash from central government we will have to make efficiency savings of £712K and take £747K from reserves.
Despite this council agreed to spend an additional £7.5K on tackling gulls, £70K for community work for post Covid-19 recovery, £35K for Citizen’s Advice Bureaux and £50K for work to tackle child poverty in the city. All of these measures were agreed on a cross-party basis and agreed unanimously.
When I was elected to council back in 2016 the council went into no overall control. About a year later we moved from the winner takes all cabinet system to one where measures are agreed by cross-party committee. The Green Party has been holding the ring to ensure that ALL councillors are involved from all political parties. This is now at least the third budget in a row where it’s been agreed unanimously. I’m proud of playing my part in bringing about this massive change in culture – long may it continue!
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