Not a very good Parish Council budget

Part of looking at the Budget there are some glaring anomalies. Some examples are in the following: 

The above shows the overspends on certain budgets during the current year. Below are the budgets for next year.

Areas of concern.

Plant and Equipment. This has shown continual overspend on this budget for each year at @ £21,000 in the past few years. This year the PC is looking at an overspend of £11,950. With this history overspend just adding £2,000 to the budget for next year seems very short.

Plant maintenance. This has also overspent. Looking at the projected amount and what has already been spent this year there is a discrepancy of @ £1,000 overspend

Repairs and Renewals. This has a variasble spend but always above the £10,000 budgeted for next year and a whacking great big £63,000 overspend this year.

Christmas Lights. This has continually overspent. Although the amount budget is projected to be spent this year is £1,000 the actual amount spent so far is £3,305. This amount is not reflected in the budget.

Fireworks. This has continually overspent. Although the amount budgeted in each year is £2,660 this hasn't stopped the PC overspending in each year. As with the Xmas Lights although the amount projected to be spent this year is £2,660 the PC has already overspent by £1,710. This is not reflected in the budget.

Ron says: Budgets are a bit of a guess at the best of times. Though when costs of the service are already higher than budgeted for then these costs must be taken into account in future budgets.