Note: this is from February 2010 and relates to the 2010/11 budget. For the 2011/12 budget report, click here.

Stockport had two Full Council meetings tonight.  The first passed a resolution saying we would only go into a City Region if it retained two-thirds majority voting and we could leave in three years if we chose.

The second passed Stockport’s budget for 2010/11.

As usual, I was reporting from the meeting via Twitter, so here it is.

Cllr syd lloyd taken ill before mtg – hope he makes a swift recovery.
1st of 2 full council mtgs kicking off. Let’s hope we’re not here to 2am.
1st mtg considers whether we support new city region plans for greater manchester.
Fond farewells being said to our retiring chief exec, John Schultz.
Leader dave goddard presenting report & recommendation for city region
leader – why are we rushing decision: new region won’t meet until apr 2011.
Leader – red line 1: losing 2/3rds on new combined authority.
Leader – red line 2: a council must be able to withdraw in 3 yrs.
Leader – we will oppose the city region plan unless red lines met.
Leader – at least 1 other council will take same line tomorrow.
Labour supporting motion. Tories reject idea of city regions,
Cons agree with red lines, can’t support motion due to overall opposition to city region.
resolution passed, only tories voting against. Red lines will stand.
And we start the 2nd meeting, to agree stockport’s budget for 2010/11.
Cllr syd lloyd enters the chamber, glad he’s recovered.
Cons critical of healthy eating & fitness agenda.
Cons say ld have good intentions but concerned over delivery.
Lab disagree with con – work on lifestyle & quality of life important.
Cllr candler (ld) 1 yr plan prudent given huge unknowns.
Cllr candler (ld) “kill the chill” campaign saved lives – money worth spending.
Cllr candler (ld) rejects con claims that communicating with residents should be cut.
cllr les jones (con) singing praises of stockport homes.
Cllr foster-grime (ld) stockport homes good; we will look to make it even better.
now running through med term financial & capital strategies, agreed by all.
Now onto the substance of the budget for 2010/11. Cllr derbyshire presenting.
if we had same central gov funding as manchester, our coun tax bill would fall by 90%.
we get £296.33 per head support grant. Even Trafford gets more. Manchester gets £729.62.
Our council tax increase will be 3.25%
by end 2010/11 efficiency savings of over £16.5 milliom per annum will be achieved.
8 people in public gallery tonight.
Con-led bury has higher council tax rise than stockport, tho’ get much more govt. Funds
Stockport council employees get no pay rise this year, in line with national agreement.
Neither lab nor tories offering any amendments to lib dem budget.
Lab don’t think stockport should get higher govt grant – we get less than Trafford!
Cllr weldon’s phone goes off. That’s a contribution to the mayor’s charity (mine is on silent).
Cllr lloyd (con) appears to be critising us for making efficiency savings. Bad lib dems!
Cllr lloyd (con) not a happy bunny. Cons will not offer amendments or an alternative budget.
Cllr syd lloyd (con) runs out of time whilst accusing lib dems (inc. Me) of lying about tory cuts.
Sadly for cllr lloyd, tory leaflets call for no council tax rise: an extra £5m in cuts. Nice try, Syd.
You can’t have it both ways, syd. If you want no tax rise, it means cuts.
cllr bailey (lab) wants more involvement in settng the budget.
Cons claiming budget is too large. Odd: stockport is one of the lower spending authorities.
Cons calling for council to do less; but reject our suggestion they want cuts. Very confusing.
Cons claim lib dems inconsistent – not all ld councils have same council tax increase. Wonder how cons measure.
Deep into “worthy but dull” phase – lab theme is lack of transparency & not enough consultation over budget.
Cllr pantall “after 30 budgets…”. I was in primary school at the first of those,
full council brings out ding-dong politics – cllrs on all sides behave differently in other meetings.
Lib dem speakers attacking cons for calling for big cuts, sticking up for council’s record.
Cons want 15-20% cut in council spending. Would mean 500+ job cuts, but no clues where they want the axe to fall

lib dem stockport gave opposition 10 days to review budget. Lab tameside & con trafford produced on night.
budget is passed 36-18 with lab & con against, much to everyone’s shock.

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