West Lindsey On Track For Balanced Budget

West Lindsey District Council already has a lean budget, thanks to changes made by Conservatives who took control in May 2008. It is now apparent that most of this year's spending will be balanced by efficiency savings and income, with no services being scrapped.

The authority currently has one of the lowest charges in the country and is also debt free.

Leader of the Council, Cllr. Burt Keimach, Conservative (Market Rasen Ward), said:

"We received the worst district council settlement on government funding in Lincolnshire and among one of the worst in the country, but we are proposing no council tax rise.

"We still have a lot of work to do, but early indications show we will be able to balance our budget for this financial year without impacting on key services, making expensive redundancies or increasing council tax."

The council needs to save £2.5m over the next two years and another £250,000 as a result of other pressures, such as inflation. Although the council's budget will not be officially agreed until Monday, 7th March 2011, there is cause for optomism.

Big Brother Is Not Watching You!

Almost a quarter of all CCTV cameras operated by West Lindsey District Council.

The Lincolnshire Echo is reporting that seven surveillance cameras controlled by West Lindsey District Council are broken and currently not in use.

The authority operates twenty-nine cameras across the district which includes Gainsborough, Market Rasen, Saxilby and Nettleham.

Council officials say repair work on a number of 'CCTV issues' is required but they refused to disclose where the broken cameras are located for safety reasons.

All one hundred and twenty-six cameras used by the City of Lincoln Council and twelve controlled by North Kesteven District Council are currently working.

West Lindsey District Council spokesman Mr. Geoff O'Neill said:

"We can confirm that seven cameras are not working and we are urgently looking at the best way to deal with a number of CCTV issues throughout West Lindsey."