Major cuts of £25M loom for Wirral Council, impacting libraries, jobs, and services. Council tax may rise amid a budget gap.
Birkenhead Town Hall may close, and fourteen libraries face a possible review. Leisure services could lose £3 million. Up to 200 jobs are at risk.
Council tax might rise 4.99% in April, generating £9 million; this will help close a £34 million budget gap. The council must balance its books, otherwise, they declare effective bankruptcy.
Councillors gave power to the finance officer, allowing him to “do anything necessary” to fix the budget. Job losses could range from 100 to 200. They prefer deleting vacant roles or voluntary redundancy.
They might also move staff within the council, but compulsory redundancies are still possible leading to possible union strikes. Unison and Unite protested outside the town hall before the council meeting.
One union officer said cuts have happened for years and wants to cut other areas, not jobs. He feels pressure is increasing on workers’ lives. Public service quality is slowly declining, he believes.
All councillors approved the budget with a change, regarding voluntary redundancy for all staff, which happened after many private discussions. Finance director Matthew Bennett said compulsory redundancies are unlikely.
He thinks enough people will volunteer to leave, and staff moved to new roles will receive training. The public won’t have a say yet. Some cuts, like library changes, need public feedback. Councillors want public ideas to improve services.
Library closures are a real possibility; a councillor said final decisions are postponed, and a library closure decision should come later this year.
One councillor criticised past Labour leadership for using reserves, claiming the council has “deep financial trouble.” Another councillor said £200 million has been cut from the council’s budget.
A former official suggested using reserves earlier. Council leaders argued over past budget decisions. One said the council only provides bare minimum services now, blaming it on chronic underfunding.
A final budget vote occurs on March 3. Funding bids were also discussed at the meeting; these bids involve demolitions, sports pitches, fire doors, and new parking meters.