I HAVE finalised UKIPs alternative budget which will go before the council tonight which has been costed out with the borough treasurer Sue Johnson and the chief executive Margaret Asquith as a legal budget and workable.

We in UKIP welcome that the council is using some of its reserves to help subsidise the budget but feel we will support the three per cent rise in adult social care on condition that it's ring fenced.

This increase when incorporated into the council tax base should also be ring-fenced for future years for adult social care. However we need assurances that this will be for front line care and not used to significantly increase management posts. We will also ask that a report be brought back to the appropriate scrutiny meeting. We want to ensure this isn't a way of creating pen pushing administration and management jobs.

UKIP also recommend that the remaining proposed 1.8 per cent increase should not take place and the equivalent amount of money should be taken out of our council reserves. It is unacceptable that the public should meet the 1.8per cent additional rise when this council is sitting on reserves which year on year have increased dramatically.

Bolton Council's reserves are within the top three of local authorities in Greater Manchester and are far greater than Manchester Council's. Had this been an election year this Labour controlled council would have been recommending a 0% rise.

UKIP also recommends that the money received in excess of the dividends already allocated from the Manchester Airport Dividend should be ring fenced and put in the Area Forum pot and split equally across all 20 wards to be spent on repairs to our roads and pavements which is desperately needed.

This council over the last 12 months has made some disastrous financial decisions and given grants to undeserving organisations like Asons, it's paid its former chief executive off to the tune of £90k and it is building up a war chest far in access of what it needs.

Cllr Sean Hornby

UKIP Group Leader

Bolton Council