Word around Aberdeen City Council is that the 2024 budget is going to be boring.
After a year of court battles and huge public outcry over the closure of six libraries and a swimming pool, maybe anything else would be.
Politicians are aware that any cut to council services will impact people.
But there is also a feeling that maybe Aberdeen has taken its medicine – that the swingeing last year might offer some respite this time around.
How much will the Aberdeen budget hurt?
That said, when councillors meet on Wednesday they will still be deciding how best to cut £25.3 million from next year’s budget.
It is expected to fall to £23.3m, if Jeremy Hunt – who will deliver his Spring Budget at Westminster on the same day – doesn’t cut Scottish funding.
That has been whittled down from a feared £35m financial black hole, feared when the city launched public consultation on its savings plan last year.
But the relief around a shortfall of only £23m or £25m is an indication of how short Aberdeen City Council has been left in the recent years.
In 2023-24, they had to claw back £46.6m.
Due to a new wave of public consultation launched late last year, we’ve seen more scary lists of proposed cuts than ever before.
But now we’ve got the final edition a week from the city budget vote, what can we rule out?
SNP in Aberdeen won’t go against SNP in Edinburgh
The earliest indicator that the SNP and Liberal Democrats running the council won’t go up against the Scottish Government is on council tax.
Despite calls from the city accountants to increase it by 8% and draw in an extra £4m from residents, finance convener Alex McLellan announced the levy would be frozen.
The Scottish Government offer would reduce the shortfall by another £6.9m. If Mr Hunt delivers on Wednesday, Aberdeen would get another £2m.
For those keeping a tally, that would take the budget gap down to £16.4m.
On that basis, let’s rule out anything that would set Aberdeen City Council on a collision course with Holyrood.
Discount the suggestion of shortening the school week at primaries and secondaries to save £3.5m in each of the next two years.
Another obvious no will be the suggestion to slash free nursery provision from 1140 hours back down to 600.
That would save £7m in the 2027-28 financial year. But it’s a flagship SNP policy.
Mr McLellan has also very quickly ruled out a £1.5m hit to Aberdeen’s charities and third sector, reaffirming the council’s commitment to the Fairer Aberdeen Fund.
Bus services to Kingswells are also assured, in a political boon for local councillors Depute Provost Steve Delaney and Lord Provost David Cameron.
Lollipop storm in Aberdeenshire will be enough to deter city
Thousands have now railed against Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to sack their lollipop men and women.
Despite a last-minute £3m funding boost, councillors voted to get rid of crossing patrollers outside of schools.
And the fury is likely to make it £85,000 not worth saving, if the administration was ever considering it at all.
It’s also understood to that suggestions to save £1m by plummeting Aberdeen’s streets into darkness, extinguishing lampposts, is highly unlikely.
And it would be anything but boring if family-favourite destinations like Pets Corner at Hazlehead Park or the Duthie Park David Welch Winter Gardens were to close.
So strike that combined £600,000 saving off the list too.
Unless personally impacted by the Aberdeen budget cuts, who’s to say what’s boring?
Council accountants put forward a recommended 2024 budget to cut £22m from city spending.
If it all goes to the SNP and Liberal Democrat plan, they’ll need to save only £16.4m
We’ve just told you why £4.5m in cuts won’t be made.
The Hazlehead alpacas and Duthie Park’s McPuddock may be safe for another year.
But perhaps it will be for those affected when the axe does fall to decide how boring the cuts really are.
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