Dumbarton Notebook by Bill Heaney
It was Tony Blair who launched his election campaign in 1997 with the song “Things Can Only Get Better”.
Well, if they did get better then whatever “things” the then Prime MInister had people singing about, they went right over my head.
For me, things just got steadily worse — and continued to go that way until now, 30 years later.
Dumbarton used to be a real county town. Now it’s a dump. Dumpbarton.
Frankly, it didn’t matter a thing who was in power in local government. It still doesn’t.
West Dunbartonshire Council’s power is just imaginary, as in the case of the care at home service for the elderly and vulnerable, whose power still lies with the Health and Social Care Committee.
And the Council leisure services which continue to operate as an arm’s length company and have ever since been swimming in the financial deep end.
Up to their necks in debt with money loaned to them that a well-loved local councillor, the late Willie Lamont from Renton, once christened “the Gnomes of Zurich”.
The millions are now billions.
In Willie Lamont’s day, the council did an excellent job lifting the local community out of the depression of the post war years.
They created social housing fit to live in for reasonable rents, built new schools and hospitals, improved parks and leisure facilities, and did so much more within our means.
They were also civil to each other in the council chambers and some of them could actually make a speech in support of improving the difficulties the community faced at any given time.
And some of these were big issues, particularly in relation to unemployment and education.
Nowadays they go to lunch or dinner and play golf with contractors looking for lucrative work and want to have us almost frisked at the door of their meetings. They are reluctant to let you sit anywhere near them and if they do speak to you, they talk down to you.
Who do you think you are seems to be the question when a member of the press or public makes an inquiry. Or else “I’ll pass that on to the team”.
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The following should be filed in the propaganda slot. The budget for 2026/27 has been set with a 7.8% Council Tax rise agreed to help close a multi-million pound funding gap.
It’s what the spin doctors have been ordered to put out to the press and public.
They have to issue it of course on the pain of bullying and victimisation, which is the forte of the elected members and chief officers. They’re not very good to their staff.
They have form for that. Ashamedly, they are still footering around with compensation for people they abused years ago. Compassion is not their strong suit. No one has told them that justice delayed is justice denied.
We are poorly served by West Dunbartonshire Council, a group of ill-educated, disrespectful, self-serving gauleiters who treat the public like fools on an ongoing basis. They have no manners.
Here’s what the press release about the budget had to say:
During a meeting, elected members agreed to continue to fund external organisations including Lomond and Clyde Care and Repair, Y Sort It and West Dunbartonshire Citizens’ Advice Bureau.
They also agreed to retain funding for bowling clubs and chose to continue providing free swimming lessons for P6 and P7 pupils.
Early start clubs ensuring young people can access a nutritious breakfast and music tuition will still be available free of charge. The current budget for out-of-authority day and residential placements will also be maintained.
The Elderly Welfare Grant will continue to be administered to those aged 66 or over within West Dunbartonshire and motorists parking within Council car parks across the authority area will continue to be able to do so for free. (That’s if you can get into one where the spaces have not already been taken up by councillors and officers).
Out of School Care will be retained at St Eunan’s and Linnvale primaries though, in order to reduce the amount the Council subsidises the service, fees to attend will rise.
To provide a balanced budget some savings options have been taken which include all five secondary schools moving to a common senior phase timetable, introducing a minimum class size and offering pupils who cannot access a specific course at their school the opportunity to attend another site. (An EIS rep explained to them earlier that this will mean pupils attending more than one school while they chase the courses the want across the region).
Utilising internal minibus transport instead of taxis for pupils attending “partner” schools and colleges will also provide a saving. Meanwhile, secondary school staffing will reduce to reflect the large number of young people enrolled in school but attending college and placements each week.
In addition, to align with a declining pupil roll in West Dunbartonshire, a reduction of five temporary teaching posts will progress and a review of the allocation of clerical hours will be undertaken.
Reviews of office accommodation at Aurora House, Carleith Primary School Campus and Clydebank Library will be undertaken to ensure maximum usage and a comprehensive review will also be carried out on the current and future uses of the Municipal Buildings in Dumbarton. An increase in Council tax for long-term empty and second homes was also agreed.
To protect essential services and jobs where possible and to aid in balancing the Council’s £6.44m budget gap, Council Tax has been increased by 7.8%. This equates to £2.34 per week for a band D bill. (That’s about half the cost of a school dinner which if a pupil takes five days a week will work out around £25.)
While it was agreed in December that Council sales, fees and charges would rise by 5%, it was agreed at the meeting that this would exclude the garden waste permit charge, which will remain at £60 per season. (For so many residents this will mean paying for uncollected bin. Residents are being robbed).
Council leader, Councillor Martin Rooney said: “This budget is shaped not only by financial necessity, but by a commitment to our communities.
“It seeks to protect essential services wherever possible, invest in what matters most, and support West Dunbartonshire through one of the most challenging periods in recent memory.
“We have carefully considered the options presented to us and taken difficult choices but ones which we believe best reflect the priorities of our communities.
“The decisions taken by the Labour administration this year have undoubtedly been difficult, but they are essential not just to safeguard the long-term sustainability of Council services in 2026/27, but in future years too. The steps we have agreed this year has helped reduce the anticipated gap for next year by half.”
Depute leader, Councillor David McBride (yes,he does have a bad temper and he hates being held to account) said: “The budget setting process continues to be incredibly challenging and I know that this can be an unsettling time for communities.
“The decisions have not been taken lightly but, where possible, we have focused on retaining services in a sensible and proportionate way.
“The savings taken help close the budget gap as well as ensure continued support to West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership, West Dunbartonshire Leisure Trust and Valuation Joint Board for 2026/27.”
He went on to have a stand up row with one of the female members of the Council who accused him of mysoginy. Lovely atmosphere to work in. No wonder two Labour councillors have resigned and disappeared with no reason to give to the folk who voted them in.
It was at this point that Martin Rooney came out from under the bed and made his way home to the Vale under cover of darkness. He was the man who had the street lights turned down and went on TV to boast about it.
The agreed budget motion is available here: West Dunbartonshire Council closes multi-million pound funding gap | West Dunbartonshire Council
Following the budget, members discussed a report on social care charges and agreed there would be no increase introduced. (If the changes in social care were meant to be for the better then they are not. They are WORSE. You only have to ask the carers themselves and the elderly and vulnerable people tey care for.)
- The comments in brackets are mine. Oh, and by the way, what ever happened to that fleet of electric cars the council bought and left to rust in the car park?
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Top of page: Councillor David McBride (third from left) with fellow members of the Labour administration on West Dunbartonshire Council.