The financial difficulties local authorities such as Woking are facing will undoubtedly impact neighbouring authorities such as Waverley, borough council leader Paul Follows has told councillors.
Cllr Follows (Lib Dem, Godalming Central) told Waverley’s executive the cutting back of Citizens’ Advice services previously offered in Woking was now impacting the Waverley service.
He said a “papers please” mentality whereby Woking residents could be denied using the service would be “immoral”.
But Cllr Follows added, with local government having further financial pressures put upon it, “it is something we have to think about a lot more over the coming months”.
Woking council effectively declared itself bankrupt in June last year, saying it could not balance its budget.
Proposals to close public toilets, stop funding day care projects and increase prices at Pool in the Park will be put to an executive meeting on February 1.
And services such as Citizens Advice warn they will have to rely more heavily on fundraising in future after their Woking grants were cut or axed entirely.
A 10 per cent increase in Woking’s share of council tax is also set to be confirmed in March – far outstripping the 2.99 per cent rise agreed by most borough and district councils including Waverley.