In denial, or just plain dumbstruck

Audit is not everyone's cup of tea. Strange, but true. Some, so I am led to believe, find it rather dry. Yeah, people, huh?

Anyways, I had the pleasure of an Audit Committee meeting last night. almost two whole hours of boundless fun.

It really is important that rigorous oversight. Everything that Southend-on-Sea Borough Council does is paid for by tax-payers. These tax payers are entitled to know that their money is not being wasted, is being spent with all proper controls in place and being adhered to.

Anyways, anyways, anyways. As with all parts of the council, audit is attempting to do its job with shrinking resources. It is managing to cover the council, but whether that will still be true with more cuts to come, I guess only time will tell.

For the first time in my four years as a councillor I asked a question that was unable to be answered.

Under the agenda item Corporate Risk Register 2016/17 it became clear that the council is expecting to maintain services despite some pretty severe medicine in the form of reduced fiscal resources.

So, I asked : One question springs to mind when I look at these numbers. If the council can provide its services after making all these 'savings' (cuts) then one wonders why it was so wasteful in years gone by?

This was met by a wall of silence.

The reality is that cuts in money will mean cuts in services.  There is a mindset of denial of the reality of the situation facing all of us. Public services are being rolled back.