THE audited accounts of Bury Metro for the financial year ending March 31, 1998, were made available to the public in February 1999. The complexity of these accounts means that they are not available to the public until some nine months after the financial year ends, but this does not detract from their importance because of the effect they had on the budget for 1998-1999 as well as the current financial year.

Many reasons were given for deciding to increase council tax by more than the Government's recommended percentage, but investigation of the published figures raises doubts in my mind as to whether the finances of the borough are being managed prudently. In the area of savings £1,595,000 is shown as under-spent by the schools to be carried forward into the financial year which ended March 31, 1999. Social services recovered another £1,364,000 which, with interest on balances and other items, gave a total of £5,141,000 of savings for the year. The council in July 1998 received a dividend of £1,679,126 in respect of BCCI and Manchester Airport has just announced a dividend of some £17,000,000 to be divided among 10 local authorities, one of which is Bury.

The 1997-98 housing revenue account shows that the rent arrears total in March 1998 was £1,078,875 and that the provision for bad and doubtful debts was £913,262. Competitive services, in relation to the civic halls, had a deficit of £559,000 and included in the list of long-term debtors is an item headed "Car Loans (employees)" £3,172,000 - this from a council that is always claiming poverty and which has under-funded our schools and threatened the Arts and Crafts and Mosses centres with closure.

These figures are for the financial year ending March 1998. The signed audited accounts for year ending March 1999 will not be published until early 2000 when any member of the public can obtain a copy.

A. WITHINGTON,

Wellington Road,

Bury.

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