Who’s deciding the cuts– officials or Councillors?

The combined Community Councils meeting on Wednesday night heard a worrying tale from John Mackie. He told the meeting about the forthcoming demise of the local Community Care Forum a local group that is a contact point for carers and users and seeks to resolve any complaints that arise in this arena.

He said members of the Highland Care Forum had been called in by Highland Council to be told that the funding would be pulled from June next year.

John told the meeting, “ I’m arranging a meeting with local councillors because it is my understanding is that they don’t know anything about it. This has come from the officials. I think we need to clarify that with the councillors.”

John was seeking support from West & River to send along representatives once a meeting had been fixed up and he received a sympathetic response from those present.

Is this just a mix-up somewhere in the Highland Council system or are officials deciding themselves what has to go? The corollary from that of course, is, are they deciding themselves what stays? At this time of funding crisis is the Council’s democratic apparatus falling apart as the cuts and the decisions of cuts are being made along at Glenurquhart Road.We need to know urgently if Councillor Mackie's understanding of the situation is correct.