Birmingham City Council leader Cllr John Cotton has warned there must be no let-up in the efforts to get the organisation back on a sound financial footing and transform the way the council works.
Urgent work is already underway to ‘reset’ the council and three important reports will go to Cabinet on 12 December
I’ve been clear that the council must change. We face some painful financial decisions in the coming months, and we must be absolutely transparent about the situation the council is in.
“There are significant historical and current weaknesses regarding governance at the council, which has clearly contributed to the current situation. There has been a lack of cultural change in the council, and this is something we must and will get a grip on.
“Progress has been made in the first phase of getting Oracle back on track and ensuring the system is safe and compliant but there is much more to be done.
“Work is already underway to transform the council, but it is clear that we must work harder than ever before to bring about the changes that we need to see, to build a better council for our workforce and the 1.2 million citizens of Birmingham.
“We need to reset our finances, reset how we deliver our services, and reset the relationship with our residents, partners and staff. There can be no let-up in this work and the cabinet and leadership team will remain focussed on working with commissioners to get the council on a road to improvement.”