Nine school crossing patrols in Caerphilly could be saved after the council reconsiders its budget plans.
Eluned Stenner said they rethought the patrol cuts. The council now wants to remove that plan. They might also change public transport cuts. They got good news about bus funding.
Sean Morgan said budgeting was tough. Councils face many financial challenges right now. Caerphilly wants a balanced budget somehow. They plan savings and using reserves. Council tax could rise by 7.9%.
Reserves are a big debate. Labour controls the council right now. Plaid Cymru opposes them on reserves. Greg Ead worked on a budget alternative. It limits tax rises and uses unused reserves to balance things.
Ead said £3.145m from 16 reserves is ready. He wants to analyze 21 more reserves. Those total £7.543m more cash. This could help the 2025/26 budget. It would protect against cuts as well.
Ead wants to protect the public. He wants to ensure fees stay low. He also wants to reduce tax increases. Ead urged Labour to consider his plan closely. He thinks it’s a good alternative.
Council members warned against using reserves too much. Stenner said reserves are financially essential. Caerphilly currently has £189m in reserves. Most is for specific projects already. It could drop to £41m soon.
A report said the General Fund could drop to £14.3m. That’s down from £34.4m the previous year. Stephen Harris warned about using too many reserves. He said they could run out fast.
Ead said his plan prioritizes services. It focuses on economic sustainability and reduces the burden on residents, too.