Opposition SNP and Liberal Democrat councillors presented their alternative budgets for the year yesterday.
The nationalists – the largest opposition group in the Town House – presented their vision with broadly similar proposals to that of the administration.
Among the changes was a £20,000 investment in Rubislaw Quarry to boost tourism to the Granite City, a deferral of a planned Milltimber primary school and an ambitious £4.4million project to build 37 council flats.
But the SNP also proposed to cut £250,000 from the grass cutting budget, a one-year increase of 8.5% in burial fees and a £640,000 cut in the council’s “cultural programme” which includes festivals.
Following on from her comments that the authority should look “closer to home” to make savings, group leader Jackie Dunbar suggested a review of councillor’s administration budgets and a £250 fee for member’s parking spaces at the Town House.
She said: “We have a privileged perk of our own parking spaces at the town house available to us 24/7, 365 days a year… we should not be taking this perk for granted.”
Meanwhile the Liberals – with five members on the council – put forward a £2million road repair project, a freeze in off-street parking charges and a £600,000 “education fund”.
Group leader Ian Yuill said: “… the Liberal Democrats have managed to focus resources on our priorities of education, Aberdeen’s roads and pavements, our local environment and our city centre.”
As was widely expected the administration budget was voted through after hours of debate.