Councillors accused of point scoring and damaging staff morale over finance criticism
Less information could be made public about Shropshire Council’s finances after leading councillors accused opposition leaders of political point-scoring.
Councillor Gwilym Butler made the comments at a cabinet meeting during a heated discussion about the £23.6 million hole the council is facing in its budget for next year.
The funding gap for 2024/25 had previously been estimated at around £1 million, but councillor Butler told members this had been revised due to inflation and unforeseen pressures in social care.
Councillor Roger Evans, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, voiced concern that the predicted shortfall was “more than we predict we will have in our reserves” – even if the planned £51.4 million in savings the council says it will make this year is delivered in full.
He added: “I’m not sure where this council is going in the future. Are we managing [our finances] or not?
“As an elected member, nearly half of this council is being kept completely in the dark.”
His concerns were echoed by Labour group leader Councillor Julia Buckley, who said many areas targeted for savings had not been consulted on.
