The Comhairle has voted for a package of cuts and savings to stave of an immediate
£3.7 million funding gap for this year, 2015-
Its annual budget meeting was held in Stornoway tonight (Wed).
For the eight year running, councillors voted to freeze Council Tax at £1,024 for Band D houses.
In addition, council staff will be paid the Living Wage with payments backdated from April 2013.
Inflation, including rising wage bills, plus staff pensions will cost the council an extra £1.7m this coming financial year.
A budget report highlights the risk of compulsory job losses while other posts will be abolished by restructuring some council departments.
An estimated over 200 council positions have vanished in the last three or so years including early retirement, vacancies which are not filled as well as redundancies.
The social work department presently faces a massive £847,000 overspend in looking after elderly people next year forcing the authority to find the cash to increase its core budget by £500,000 for 2015.
The problem is set to worsen in the future as nearly 22 % of the islands’ 27,400
population are aged over 65 -
Council votes for package of cuts and savings
11 February 2015