Spending watch

Spending watch: May 2011

The true extent of Sefton's savings is laid bare in this month's Council Spending Watch.

Belt tightening is underway in the borough as Sefton Council has already cut back over half of their outgoing spends over £500.

This week the local authority published all of their outgoing transactions over £500 for May 2011.

During that month, the council spent a total over £18.9million, which is a significant saving of £15.7million from the previous year.

This compared to some £34.6million in the same month for 2010 – a 55% total decrease in spending which reveals the enormity of council savings.

Nearly £2million of this was cut from the police and fire service council payments.

The most recent total spending figure, May 2011, is also £6.9million less than the amount spent in April, the previous month.

Some £1.36million was spent on Merseyside Police Authority during May 2010, however during May 2011, the contribution plummeted to just £3,197.

In May 2010 over £605,285 was spent on Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service compared to £13,106 in May 2011.

The amount spent on Merseytravel increased from £12,755 to £13,106 but the total cost of Arvarto public services plummeted by £1.5million to just £60,000.

Legal services ‘supplies and services' cost the taxpayer some £66,402 while scientific ‘supplies and services' came to £47,626.

It's hardly a scandal considering the council's outgoing funds but £53,650 was spent on ‘general expenses', with over £20,000 of this being claimed by Sefton Sports council.

Sefton Council has even trimmed back postage, which cost the council over £80,000 during April but then fell to £17,233 in May.

Also cut was printing costs, which came to £62,000 in April but fell to just over £44,000 in May.

Over £18,000 was still spent on Carlsberg leisure and tourism sports facilities, under headings ‘catering' and ‘miscellaneous'.

Coca-cola received some £1,298 of Sefton taxpayers' money for items such as ‘sports facilities' and ‘schools catering'.

Council Spending Watch aims to give people a clear view as to how their taxes are being spent and what the council's priorities are.

Emma Boon, campaign director for the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: “The council spends taxpayers money and Sefton’s residents have a right to know what they are spending it on, so that they can hold the council to account and make sure they’re getting value for money.”