Decisions made by the SNP administration have added more than £12.6 million to the council funding crisis, North Ayrshire Labour claim.
The council political group have described budget proposals being devised as the “most horrific North Ayrshire has ever seen”.
In a report to go before councillors at a special meeting on Wednesday, council officers will set out a bleak outlook for the local authorities’ finances over the next few years.
The medium-term financial outlook report states that the council faces a funding gap of £28.5million over the next three years.
To address the funding crisis Labour claim the administration has set out proposed cuts – including cuts that have been rejected by councillors in previous years such as the closure of Arran Outdoor Centre, the closure of six public libraries and the loss of 50 teachers, as well as bringing back proposals for a £50 brown bin charge and town centre parking charges.
Under the proposals, Council Tax would increase by five per cent next year.
In the last two budgets, say Labour, the SNP administration have used a total of £12.67m from reserves.
However, using one-off funding to pay for day-to-day services Labour say increases the Council’s funding gap in future years. In effect, the council having now spent the £12.6m has added that sum to the council’s funding gap.
Joe Cullinane, leader of the North Ayrshire Labour Group said: “In two and a half years, the SNP administration have destroyed the council’s finances. As a consequence they are now looking to destroy your local services too.
“Savage cuts to community facilities, that councillors previously rejected, look to be back on the table. Town centre parking charges and a £50 charge to collect brown bins were overwhelmingly rejected but are also now back.
“We warned the SNP they were wasting vast amounts of taxpayers’ money, and we are now seeing the impact of their financial incompetence.
“£12.6m of taxpayers’ money has been spent and all we have in return is the most horrific budget proposals North Ayrshire has ever seen, with previously rejected cuts coming back.
“The SNP claimed using this one-off money would buy them time to ‘transform’ how the council works and delivers services. Their decision will certainly lead to transformation – sadly that transformation will be the council tearing the fabric of society apart.”
Council Leader Marie Burns said: “Councillor Cullinane is either deliberately misleading the people of North Ayrshire or he is demonstrating that Labour have no idea how the budget process works.
“The budget gaps in North Ayrshire were predicted when Labour were still running North Ayrshire and were caused largely by a combination of rising inflation and cuts in funding for public services. Cuts that began with the Tory government in Westminster and look like they will continue under the Labour leadership of Sir Keir Starmer.
“If the SNP hadn’t used reserves to gradually reduce spend, the cuts would have been much worse than they have been over the last couple of years.
“The information released in advance of next week’s council meeting is to ensure that the council is transparent and open about the challenges we face.
“None of the decisions we need to make will be easy, whether it’s about making savings or increasing charges.
“No single political party controls the council so ultimately the budget will be agreed by a majority of all councillors.
“If Labour want to avoid cuts they should be lobbying the newly elected Labour government in Westminster to live up to the promises made during the election campaign and properly fund public services.”
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