Residents have been told Lichfield District Council is efficient after criticism from the chair of the Labour opposition group.
Around £1.7million needs to be cut from the local authority’s budget due to a reduction in the Government’s funding to councils.
Cllr Sue Woodward questioned why many of the savings found as part of the Fit for the Future review had not been implemented earlier.
“It’s ironic that Lichfield District Council have prided themselves on being an efficient council when a lot of the cuts being proposed – and the suggestions made by staff – highlight savings that could have been made previously,” she said.
But Cllr Mike Wilcox, leader of Lichfield District Council, insisted the local authority was efficient.
“Whenever you approach any programme like Fit for the Future you may identify issues that could lead you to question why they haven’t been addressed in the past,” he told LichfieldLive. “This can be for a variety of reasons – from a new perspective on what’s important, through to changes to contracts, service arrangements and more.
“What I would like to reassure residents is that the council has had an ongoing programme of cutting back, reducing spend and driving efficiencies for many years, and that officers and members regularly scrutinise and question how public funds are invested to ensure we support key areas and eliminate any possible waste.
“In the last budget reduction programme, we found nearly £4.5 million savings, and in total since 2007 through previous expenditure reviews we have found £12.5 million in savings and additional income.”
