Powys County Council braced to bring in 'dire cuts'
Council chiefs have warned "dire cuts" will have to be made after Powys County Council announced it faces a £20 million funding gap.
And they say difficult decisions will have to be taken over the future level of council tax in the county while the first inevitable cuts may only be the "tip of the iceberg".
The stark warning was given by Montgomery shire chairman Councillor Peter Lewis following the announcement of the Welsh Government's draft budget for the next financial year.
Council leader Councillor David Jones warned yesterday the the draft budget will see cuts of a depth and scale in Powys and across Wales that have never been experienced before.
He said the council received £190.6m from the Welsh Assembly this year, but it has been warned it could be reduced by £10m next year.
He said: "Added to that the council is facing increasing demand for services that could add a further £10m to our operating costs."
That gloomy forecast was echoed today by Councillor Lewis, who said the authority did not want to alarm residents, but had to prepare them.
"We have to keep the electorate informed of where we are and the situation we face," he said. "We are looking at a funding cut and so we are looking at dire cuts in services. We are not just talking about the next financial year but years after that too so the cuts we make this time around may be only the tip of the iceberg. These cuts will affect everybody and one tough decision we will have to look at is the council tax."
Councillor Lewis said funding issues were already affecting some services, and on a local level that included who should pay for the maintenance of local toilets. He said town councillors in Llanfyllin had already attacked plans to close the town's leisure centre on a Saturday.
Councillor Joy Jones, county councillor for Newtown, added: "People must be warned that the future is looking bleak."