Motion for Debate: Towards a more sustainable and resilient system of local government funding

That this Council:

•           Notes that there has been a major sustained failure to properly fund local government;

•           Notes that Bridgend County Borough Council’s future budget position is challenging, and that further significant budget reductions will be highly likely over the course of the medium term financial strategy which will have a negative impact on the provision of core services and the wellbeing of our residents;

•           Calls on central government to implement a fairer and simplified funding formula which ends the series of ad hoc one-year settlements and ring-fenced competitive bidding;

•           Calls on central government to consider the viability of moving towards a more sustainable and resilient system of local government funding which:

(1)       redistributes funds between local authorities more closely in line with an assessment of need; and

(2)        assigns a fixed percentage of national tax revenues to local authorities.

•           Calls on the Welsh Government to establish a formalised standing Commission to act as a liaison between local and central government to consider any developing central government policies which would affect local government competencies and ensure that all national legislative commitments are fully funded.