FOCUS ON: Jublee Pool Update
Budget update:
In the event, it was he who decided to postpone the setting of the budget without Following last Tuesday’s indecisive budget putting it to a formal vote. We believe that the meeting, the Lib Dems are calling on the best course of action now is for the Mayor Mayor to seek cross party consensus on to seek cross-party negotiations with all the alternative proposals ahead of the next groups in the Council with a view to agreeing meeting on 2nd March. alternative proposals acceptable to all. We have therefore written to the Mayor to offer At the meeting the Mayor decided that he was the assistance of our group in achieving this not prepared to accept the budget as aim. amended by Bristol’s elected Councillors so he can either choose to bring back that Jubilee Pool update: amended budget, bring his original budget back, or bring alternative proposals. Much One of the budget amendments that was was made before the budget meeting of debated at Full Council last week was for a Councillors’ responsibilities with regard to loan mechanism to prevent the closure of setting the budget - but in the event, we were Jubilee Swimming Pool. The Liberal denied a say on the budget as amended. Democrats voted unanimously in support of The Mayor sought to claim the opposition this amendment but every Labour councillor parties were playing politics, by implication voted against. The good news is, the suggesting that even the process of proposamendment passed with cross party support. ing amendments and pursuing the standard The bad news is, as we mentioned earlier, budget procedure was thwarting the Council’s the Mayor has refused to accept the duty to set a balanced budget. democratically expressed wishes of local councillors so there now begins a period of behind-the-scenes discussions. 24
