Thursday 28 March 2024
 6.5°C   NE Fresh Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Letters / Flawed analysis of council reserves

Your analysis of available reserves is flawed – indeed it is disinformation!

Plenty of use for those council reserves, candidates argue in election campaign

Firstly, you can’t consider the local authority pension fund as being part of the equation, so don’t give the Shetland community a false expectation.

Secondly, SIC has no control over charitable trust funding strategy – however in my election manifesto I call for a reset of strategic goals between SIC and SCT as a priority.

I do recognise we have reached a healthy position with reserves.

However, we already commit between £15-20 million per annum toward maintaining our existing services and capital programme, and I’m comfortable with this.

Having reached a stable, well governed basis for use of investments, we now have much more scope to take decisions to further protect/grow services and invest in our infrastructure.

A priority for me is to invest in our roads infrastructure and allow long overdue upgrades to these assets – at the same time as providing at least some paths/cycle ways for pedestrians whilst doing so.

Road safety is a major issue with voters, both on main roads and minor roads – a long list is forming, including a strong case for a blanket 20mph for Scalloway.

Davie Sandison
Independent candidate for the Shetland Central ward

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.