AS you know I'm a member of three councils: Crediton Town Council, Mid Devon District Council and Devon County Council.

Throughout the month of February, all three councils have been wrestling with the same challenges, namely to produce a balanced budget and to safeguard as many of the services they supply to the expected level.

The simplest is possibly Crediton Town Council where the clerk, who is also the responsible financial officer, is given a list of priorities from the councillors and then sets out a budget that will hopefully cover them all.

The budget was discussed and agreed so therefore council can claim its precept - this is the amount you pay.

People always get worried about percentages and figures and I have to say I'm a simple man and go for the money not percentages.

As you will see, the town council has made a small rise that had to be expected from central government increases and a desire to keep up our services.

Mid Devon District Council is a slightly more difficult situation as they have statutory commitments but also a number of voluntary things that they do such as leisure centres, open spaces and things of that sort.

The main statutory requirements are planning, recycling, licensing, enforcement and housing. Fortunately we have a very good bunch of councillors who even though they are not all from the same party managed to discuss sensibly and constructively with officers and have produced an excellent budget with no need to go into reserves.

I'm not going to the figures here but if you wish to you can go online and find out exactly what has been decided.

Devon County Council has been more difficult because the numbers are huge and also the numbers on the floor of the council are different in that we have three or four different groups who do not always agree.

The process is the same, the budget goes before each scrutiny committee, who make their comments, and this goes to the cabinet who note comments and then make recommendations to full council and here is where some extra discussion does take place.

Much to everyone's surprise, an amendment to retain the £8,000 locality fund was proposed and it passed!

The one area of concern which I have discussed briefly is of course the Ofsted.

The first inspection took place in October. Officers were not happy not just with the result but with the way the officers from Ofsted carried out their inspection.

It was decided to set up a new Ofsted which came into play in January but we have still heard nothing. The long grass gets longer and longer.

Cllr Frank Letch MBE