A warning has been issued that council services are at “absolute breaking point”.
Mid Galloway and Wigtown West Councillor Katie Hagmann fears essential services are under threat following the Scottish Government’s budget, which was announced on Thursday.
Ms Hagmann is also the resources spokesperson for The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) which had called for an extra £1 billion to be given to local authorities.
First Minister John Swinney allocated £570 million – but the local authority body claimed that represented just £71 million in real terms.
Crisis talks between council leaders were held on Friday, after which SNP Councillor Ms Hagmann said: “Council services will now be at absolute breaking point and some may have to stop altogether.”
“This is a result of cuts to our councils’ core budgets and direction on spend towards other Scottish Government priorities over the last few years.
“The budget announcement compounds this and there is a real risk that many of our essential services will not only be cut but may have to stop altogether.
“Council leaders were unanimous that we need to work together, with one local government voice, to raise our concerns at the highest level.”
Speaking to BBC’s The Sunday Show at the weekend she added: “If we got the £1 billion that would save, potentially, job cuts.
“What it translates to is equivalent of, say, 17,500 teachers.
“We’re looking at essential services, things like youth work, things like economic development, working with our third sectors as well for domestic abuse and family support services.
“All these are considered essential services and we’re at the front line of local government and it’s these types of services that we will be desperately trying to protect.”
While Mr Swinney admitted the budget had been a “bleak picture”, he defended the amount given to local authorities.
He said: “Local government came to me and asked for £1 billion and I said up front there was just no way I was going to be able to achieve that. But I have managed to put £570 million into the local government settlement.
“I’ve said to local authorities we need to work together to ensure that we protect what matters in Scottish society, which is preventative early intervention services where we do our best to change the outcomes for people within our society.”
And he added: “There’s sustained investment being made in local authority expenditure, there is sustained investment being made in the Scottish attainment challenge, sustained investment in early learning and child care, key elements of how we deliver the curriculum and how we ensure people are well supported and young people are well supported to fulfil their
potential.”
