RESIDENTS' views are needed on 'cost cutting' ideas such as charging for green waste services, fortnightly refuse collections and reducing the quality of ingredients in school meals in what council chiefs are calling a "painful process" of budget balancing measures.

Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) cabinet members agreed to ask residents, groups and councillors what they think of the suggestions when revenue budget proposals were discussed, last week.

It's recommended that cabinet protests the "total inadequacy" of the Assembly Provisional Revenue Settlement, stressing the adverse impact on services and levels of council tax.

The document includes proposals such as, increasing the cost of adult education and increasing class sizes – saving £10,000, charging for a green waste service – saving £50,000 making refuse collection fortnightly rather than weekly – saving £50,000 and reducing the quality of ingredients in school meals – saving £56,000.

Councillor Phil Murphy, MCC's cabinet member for finance said, "It's important to stress that the proposals are only ideas that we are looking at as a way of finding ways to make our money stretch. We find this whole process very painful, it's not something we like doing but we have to think about how we can run our council more effectively.

"We have to identify which services are vital and members and residents will get plenty of time and opportunities to deliberate the money saving proposals we've outlined. 

"We want to have a thorough debate and hear what everyone likes and dislikes before any decisions are made. Members will all be invited to a seminar in January where all the issues can be discussed. I hope that all citizens who wish to join in the debate will come to one of the many area forums, school forums and area committees that I will be presenting my report to over the next few months.

"A major reason for why members have to make these decisions is the appalling settlement our council receives from the Welsh Assembly Government. Our share of the funding is dire and the increase proposed – 3.7 percent - is less than the rate of inflation. We along with the Welsh Local Government Association have lobbied the government in the hope that we will get what is fair for our residents and we will continue to fight to get appropriate funding for Monmouthshire."

A proposal council tax increase of 4.95 percent was given in the event the Assembly do not allow local government to retain the one percent efficiency savings "top-sliced from the provisional settlement."

Cabinet also recommended using £3.544 million of reserve funding to support the budget. Key issues in the revenue budget proposal report state the 2008/09 2.4 percent settlement increase was the "worst uplift for local government since the onset of devolution, failing to meet the cost of inflation and placing huge pressures on council's budgets. Disappointingly, the situation is no brighter for 2009'/10 with an average increase of 2.9 percent and Monmouthshire's increase of 3.7 percent."

Cabinet members say the future of Monmouthshire is not financially bright.

The report also states many schools are finding it difficult to achieve a balanced budget and Monmouthshire schools still have the lowest levels of reserves in Wales.

"In addition, there is no provision within the lifelong learning and leisure proposals for school based redundancies in 2009/10. Cabinet expects governors to avoid redundancies and costly early retirements wherever possible."

The council tax base report recommends that the tax base for 2009/10 be noted as £41,627.35 and the collection rate set at 96.5 percent.

Monmouthshire remains the lowest funded council in Wales when measured by head of population. The gap between the authority and the average is almost £21 million.

To read all the potential changes, see the cabinet agenda on http://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk">www.monmouthshire.gov.uk