Council finance chiefs are proposing to use Covid-19 response cash to ease cost of living pressures in the region.
With fewer coronavirus related costs remaining, officials have been looking again at spending priorities.
Around £2 million was set aside in a Covid budget this year. However, it is expected that there will be an underspend.
The issue will be raised at next Tuesday’s finance committee.
A report for members states: “It is currently projected that the financial impact of Covid-19 in 2022/23 will be comfortably within the £2 million allowance set aside for this purpose.
“However, it is apparent that the impact of the current cost of living crisis is increasing demands on council services, including the homeless service, resulting in a need to incur additional costs to address these additional pressures.
“It is therefore suggested that the potential application of this reserve should be widened to cover increased council costs associated with the cost of living crisis.
“This reserve would therefore be renamed the Covid-19 and Cost of Living Response Reserve.”
It is being proposed that £3.185 million of council reserve funding is released this year to meet outstanding costs.
