Moray Council’s SNP group aims to slash senior management salaries as part of a budget plan designed to save the authority millions over the next two years.
Opposition members have unveiled a package of measures which they say will boost the council’s coffers by more than £7million by the end of 2018.
SNP proposals include saving £500,000 by restructuring senior management, £348,000 by scrapping the controversial Western
Link Road project and £252,000 by deferring capital spending.
Last night administration councillors, who identified roughly £4million in savings, accused the opposition group of “living in cloud cuckoo land”.
Council boss Stewart Cree described the SNP’s alternative budget as a “cobbled together, back of a fag packet job”.
Nationalists have also targeted a 2% reduction in non-frontline social care services, which they claim will recoup £820,000.
SNP members say that by being more energy efficient the council can save £550,000 over the next two years.
They propose cutting £60,000 in funding for Moray Leisure Centre, and generating £50,000 by placing advertising on the council’s bus fleet.
The alternative budget also seeks to counter some unpopular changes suggested by the council’s ruling administration.
SNP councillors propose raising school meal costs by 5% rather than 10%, and want to reduce an increase in music tuition fees
from 20% to 5%.
Group leader Gary Coull said: “We believe that an additional £3million of savings are achievable, which allows us to put £250,000 back into key economic development budgets.
“By taking a different, more responsible approach to the budget we have identified greater savings while still maintaining critical services.
“Moray Council’s administration would see us sleepwalking towards bankruptcy next year, which is completely irresponsible.”
The ruling group has tabled a budget which aims to balance the council’s books over the coming year by scooping £6.3million
from reserves and making up the remaining shortfall by upping charges across the board and delaying some expensive projects.
The full council will meet today in an effort to set the body’s 2016/17 budget.
Both the administration and opposition groups have accepted the Scottish Government’s recommendation that council tax remain frozen for a ninth consecutive year.
The ruling group had previously moved to increase the levy by 18% to raise £5million towards plugging a £12million deficit.
But members withdrew those plans after the government threatened to withhold more than £6million in funding.