Throughout the team’s work, fiscal empowerment for local government is an overarching theme, linking directly with COSLA’s strategic objective of strengthening local democracy.

The team has a key role in ensuring that Local Government is represented robustly and with authority in financial negotiations and discussions with both Scottish Government and Parliament and to ensure that financial flexibility is promoted at all levels.

Spokesperson

The Resources Spokesperson is Councillor Katie Hagmann.

Main Policy Areas

• Fiscal empowerment for local government
• Spending Review
• Capital and infrastructure investment, including housing; economic development
• Taxation (including council tax, non-domestic rates and water billing and collection)
• Efficient Government
• Supporting policy teams in respect of finance such as: expansion of early years; financial impact of welfare reform; education reform; energy efficiency etc.
• Settlement and distribution issues
• Financial impact of welfare reform
• Pensions

Team Functions

The Team works closely with other COSLA Teams to ensure policies are appropriately costed and funded. The team also works very closely with professional advisers, such as local authority Directors of Finance and Chief Executives, to identify potential and current pressures and to provide a range of advice, options and recommendations to elected members on resource issues. The current financial climate presents many challenges for Local Government and the team works to advance the interests of Local Government in these financial discussions.