This week's Councillor Column is written by Lomond North independent councillor George Freeman.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The Advertiser reported last week that up to 90 jobs could be lost over the next three years due to projected budget cuts of over £11 million currently being considered by the council.

It should be made clear that these are only "guesstimates" at this time as the council does not know what funding will be made available from the Scottish Government over the next three years.

We have heard the council continue to complain about millions of pounds being cut from its budget year after year with a long list of services being cut.

What surprises me is that when we look in detail at employee numbers over the past five years, based on full time equivalent numbers, we find that employee numbers have remained virtually static.

This appears to confirm that the total staff resource within the council has not reduced even although we have seen individuals leaving the council.

The clear perception is that jobs continue to be lost at the coalface while, at the same time, additional administration/managerial posts are created.

While these are perceptions, it appears that this is backed up by council figures.

I believe that it is time the council carried out a full review of where its staff resources are deployed so that the public can be reassured that the priority is for staff resources to be directed to front line service delivery where the public can see a clear return for their money.

Meanwhile, although the council administration complains about job losses due to cuts in Scottish Government funding and the impact that this has on council services, we see massive sums of taxpayers’ money being spent on twinning projects that many people see as no more than jollies for those concerned.

After spending £2,500 to send one councillor and three officers to Germany last year, the council has surpassed itself this year by increasing this figure five times by allocating an additional £10,000 for twinning from council reserves.

This £12,500 was to welcome a delegation from Amberg-Sulzbach in Germany to “celebrate” 50 years of twinning.

Although the council now tries to argue that there are economic benefits from such trips, no one involved in these trips has yet detailed any specific benefit to the people of Argyll and Bute.

I am sure that those made redundant will find this hard to swallow.