A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT councillor has described the budget they inherited as “woefully inadequate”.
Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey, executive member for finance at Wokingham Borough Council, made the comments at an executive meeting on Thursday, October 27.
She said: “We have, this year, inherited a budget that was woefully inadequate for the needs of this Council.
“As examples, there was insufficient funding for rebuilding Winnersh Park in Ride, despite its problems being known about, last October. There was no funding in the budget for food caddy liners.
“There is woefully inadequate provision for getting children to school and supporting children with special educational needs.”
Cllr Shepherd-DuBey said these issues, combined with rising inflation, has forced the council to make decisions on some services such as cutting the provision of blue bags or providing additional funding for bus services.
Despite the “adversity” she believes this provides the opportunity to “look more closely at how our services are run”.
She added: “No councillor becomes a councillor with the expectation of having to cut services and increase prices.
“We are having to make those difficult decisions on behalf of our residents otherwise this council will cease to be able to carry out its basic functions including being able to support the most vulnerable in our society.
“With a significant shortfall in income and reduced support from central government funds, we are finding we are left with very few choices.”
