SCC Residents’ Association and Independent Group Media Release
Embargo: 10.00am Tuesday 8th February
SCC’s Opposition Leader calls Surrey Financial Leadership “Inefficient and Inept”
At Tuesday’s Budget Meeting, where the Leader of SCC announced a 4.99% council tax increase, the Leader of Residents’ Association and Independent Group County Councillor Nick Darby delivered a blistering attack on the Conservative’s management of the Council’s finances.
Commenting on efficiencies that cut services for some of the most vulnerable County Councillor Nick Darby said:
“We have debated so-called efficiencies in previous years, but if SCC needs efficiencies, we must have been inefficient before. What we actually need is to be efficient, simply do the job well, on time and on budget”
Referencing an overspend on a major IT project County Councillor Nick Darby said:
“There has been at least four months delay, with continuing risk and extra cost to the Surrey council taxpayer of £3.2 million. That is inept project management, despite a clear warning”.
And turning to SCC’s property maintenance strategy County Councillor Nick Darby called it:
“Fifteen years of neglect. SCC’s offices are described as not fit for purpose with a backlog of repairs totalling £39 million. To neglect our property assets over such a long period is not efficient, it is closer to incompetent”.
Later in the Debate County Councillor Eber Kington detailed why the Residents’ Association and Independent Group would be voting against the budget. In commenting on a series of financial failings he said:
“In January, SCC’s debt repayment strategy was described by the Council’s independent Auditors Grant Thornton as “imprudent” – an auditor’s polite way of saying it is just plain wrong. And yet there is a real reluctance to admit the policy posed a real financial risk.”
“Our residents are crying out for competent financial management, and our most vulnerable residents are owed better support from SCC, including funding opportunities they can access, and a strategy that will ensure well-maintained children’s homes. We also know that our residents want safe streets and, crucially, an end to the night-time streetlight switch-off, which the Conservative stubbornly refuse to do”.
In protest of the Tory proposal, Residents Association and Independent County Councillors voted against the proposed budget.
For further comment please contact:
County Councillor Nick Darby – 0208 3982382 – nick.darby@surreycc.gov.uk
County Councillor Eber Kington – 07598 322 406 – ekington@epsom-ewell.gov.uk´