There are always furious denials whenever it is suggested that the Boston Town Area Committee is being used as a piggy bank for the council.
Stand by for that debate to reignite with a report before today’s meeting recommending that the committee takes on even more spending that is presently part of the council’s general budget.
BTAC is described as a “parish council” for the town, whose job it is to reflect and represent the views of the town wards and residents – and the only items which can legally be charged to it are those provided exclusively or mainly for those people. 
If the wider population use facilities, they are subject to the council wide council tax.
However, regular readers will recall the rumpus after the committee funded last year’s feeble Queen’s Jubilee celebrations in Central Park to the tune of £5,000 – an event that that was undoubtedly a borough-wide attraction which should therefore have been funded from  the whole council budget.
A couple of years ago, BTAC paid for the herb garden in Central Park which again was deemed by many to be borough-wide facility, spending on which  deprived town residents of £10,000 that could have been used for local needs.
And last year, English Democrat Councillor Elliott Fountain attacked BTAC for meetings that were “more like a hand-out shop, where people or groups from all over the Boston area ask for money and the committee gives to them – even though it is not just for Boston town area residents.
“There are no discussions or views on anything else in this committee except to give money away.
“I think I have witnessed at least £40,000 given away – in my opinion to projects, furniture or groups that should have been given from the council’s budget.”
The latest cunning plan for BTAC’s funds comes from finance portfolio holder Councillor Raymond Singleton-McGuire, who tells today’s meeting in a draft budget report that “consultation has suggested that BTAC should adopt the whole Garfits Lane footprint rather than only the playground.”
The Garfits Lane  playing field is within the BTAC area, but  currently BTAC only pays for the maintenance of the play area within the playing field.
The apparent justification for taking on the whole site is that “this gives BTAC the opportunity to manage the site and for example look at either reducing its costs or raising further income, in the spirit of localism.
This will add almost £34,000 to BTAC’s outgoings – and at the same time relieve another budget … presumably Leisure Services … which has already benefitted handsomely from BTAC’s funding in the past.
If BTAC incurred these costs immediately, the band D special expense for 2013/14 will soar from £8.85 to £12.72.
The committee’s total expenditure on the premises it would be responsible for will rise by almost 62% from £56,980 to £92,140, whilst its bill for supplies and services will increase from 16,360 to £19,100 – or 16.7%.
We find it very difficult to see how anyone can argue that this proposal is nothing more than a way to hive off a large chunk of general council spending on to a committee with a specific budgetary remit.
It would be interesting to hear an explanation as to why the borough has picked up the bill for the Garfits Lane site quite cheerfully for donkey’s years until now.
Polspeak dresses the idea up in terms of a window of opportunity for BTAC – when the real beneficiary would appear to be the leisure services budget.
Expect no surprises in terms of opposition to the plan.
We are told that the cabinet has endorsed the idea.
The Tories have a comfortable majority on BTAC – which includes three cabinet members.
The Tories always do what the cabinet tells them.
So … why they bother to hold the meeting in the first place is what baffles us.

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