Listening to your views...

At a briefing for all political groups earlier this week the Council's Chief Financial Officer reported that the Council is projecting a budget surplus of around £4m in the next financial year, 2012/13. Taking into account the projected budget surplus in the current financial year of £2.3m and other factors, he is projecting that the political groups will have just over £8m available in 'free reserves' to spend on one-off investments as part of the review of the Council's 2012/13 budget, which will be considered at a special Council meeting on 9 February.

Over the coming weeks the ruling Administration will be discussing how we can make best use of this £8m. I would therefore be interested to hear from Inverclyde residents on what they think our priorities should be.

Officers have already come up with a number of suggestions:

£0.3m for the proposed new Inverkip Community Facility taking the Council's funding for the £1.2m project to £0.9m;
£1.0m for the refurbishment of the Watt Complex taking the Council's total funding commitment to £4.0m;
£3.0m to make up a shortfall in the Council's capital funding as a result of the Scottish Government cutting our capital grant, which would cover the cost of existing planned projects, such as our annual investment in road improvements.

I would like to hear residents' views on these proposals and any thoughts on how the balance of £3.7m should be spent.

Suggestions can be emailed to me at Stephen.McCabe@inverclyde.gov.uk or by writing to me at Municipal Buildings, Clyde Square, Greenock PA15 1NB.

As you would expect, I already have a few ideas of my own.