Aberdeenshire Council has revealed its proposals to plug a £67 million budget blackhole.
Projects launched to help struggling youngsters in Peterhead and Fraserburgh are on the line, while funding to support VisitAberdeenshire could also be slashed.
The local authority also hopes to recoup £700,000 by getting tough on those falsely claiming single person council tax discount.
Officials have proposed a raft of changes across infrastructure, education and business services that could help balance the books in the next year.
The local authority is facing a £66.8 million funding gap as the rise in energy prices and inflation puts an additional strain on its finances.
What are the suggested cuts?
The proposed options include plans to cut £50,000 of funding to VisitAberdeenshire, as well as £15,000 of the council’s hospitality budget.
The future of award-winning projects Peterdeen and Fraserdeen, launched to help students struggling with traditional schoolwork, are also under threat.
Officials hope to save an extra £287,000 by scrapping the scholarship programmes that currently offer different educational opportunities in sport and business, among others.
However, one of the biggest savings has been drafted to come from a crackdown on council tax payers in receipt of a single-person discount.
Last month, a 4% increase in council tax was agreed in an effort to raise almost £1.6 million for the local authority amid “astronomical” inflation.
In addition, officers are now proposing a review of all customers who have been awarded the single person discount to filter those no longer eligible and save £700,000.
A series of Covid safety measures introduced during the pandemic will also be scrapped, putting an extra £220,000 into the council’s pockets.
When is the budget decided on?
Officials claim this was “one of the toughest budget proposals to put together” as the council aims to bounce back from the pandemic amid extreme financial challenges.
The crunch budget meeting will take place on Thursday, March 9.
It comes after Aberdeen City Council set its budget yesterday, announcing a series of drastic measures to fill a £46.6 million black hole.
These include a £781,000 cut to sport facilities in the city, as well as the closure of a number of libraries in a controversial move to save £280,000.
Aberdeenshire Council will meet to agree its budget next Thursday at 10.15am.
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