Council Meet To Hear Financial Position – Wrexham Parking Fines Down!

The Council will be meeting today to hear a report on the Council’s budgetary position following eight months of the 2012/13 financial year.

The report (viewable here as .doc) includes details of revenue over and underspends.

One such shortfall is described as: “A shortfall in car park income as a result of a reduction in the level of fine income (£50k) and ticket machine income (£50k).”

It is an odd scenario where conditioning of behaviour via fines is seen as a bad thing when people appear to be parking correctly and therefore dont require a ticket / fine!

Pressure on services is evident throughout the report, with the economic climate changing not only the Council’s resources but peoples behaviours. This is illustrated in the ‘school catering’ detail which not only has the pressures of raw material cost inflation, but trends on usage:

“The service is forecast to show an overspend in expenditure of food (with prices increasing) of approximately £100k. In addition, income from pupils paying for school meals has reduced by £170k, which is a reflection of the current economic climate where some are choosing the cheaper option of packed lunches rather than using the school catering service.”

Further steps are being taken to improve the situation, and still focusing on school meals, one such example in further reducing overspend is “efficiencies in each school kitchen in respect of staff hours and the ordering of food supplies, portion sizes and stock/waste. Also, promotion of the service to increase income.”

The report also contains opening balance for schools in Wrexham as at 1st April 2012, with details of the the revised projected position for this year.