4 March (Part 2) - Rough times ahead?
If ChatGPT says that David Leaf, Cabinet Member
for Resources, is not the financial expert among our Councillors, then who is?
With the possible exception of Councillor Andy Dourmoush’s, who used to run a large
business in the borough, all eyes glaze over when David starts to reel off the
numbers; as do mine. Next year we will lose Andy’s expertise and be even more rudderless.
From inside Bexley Council came a message prompted by Councillor Leaf’s 36
minute speech of doom. Spelling it out in detail risks identifying the
source but a summary of “we are in deep s***” is maybe not enough. So hereְ’s the message, more or less.
I’ve been trying to balance this council’s budget and Bexley is in a bad place. Worse is
that the whole story is being avoided. Money is borrowed and money is moved but
it cannot hide the Council being £5 million in the red. Next year we have to
find another £30 million. Nobody admits the truth and Councillors have their
heads in the sand hoping the problem will go away. The Leader is upset that
people don’t believe her. Officers are unhappy. They have been battling but she isn’t listening.
That is by no means a verbatim quote but all the important bits are unchanged.
It isn’t clear to me even on the original what exactly the Leader is not being
believed about. That all is Fine and Dandy presumably.
Jane Richardson. Caroline Holland and Catherine Peter, all capable people
according to various reports, have all buggered off and Bexley has recruited a
new Finance Director with experience of declaring Councils bankrupt.
Hold on to your hats!