FINANCE bosses are going over the top in a last-ditch bid to save cherished public services.

Days before councillors meet to consider the hit-list, they are trying to identify cuts of £14 million, £1.6 million more than needed.

If successful, their cash-juggling would reduce the impact of more controversial cuts - such as to school budgets - which have provoked massive public opposition in recent weeks.

Council leader John Byrne said yesterday, February 13, there were "no choices" in the £12.4 million of proposed cuts. If money cannot be found elsewhere, then everything on the original cuts lists will go.

"We are still trying to find more options - perhaps through raising income from other sources or not filling vacant posts. This extra cash could then be used to reduce the cuts in education." he said.

The unpopular self-management scheme for the town's bowling greens could be shelved but what seems certain is that either branch libraries or community education centres will be sold off.

Plans to close four libraries, three of them in Prestwich, are still on the agenda. While they might be used by the CES, who are facing £600,000 of cuts, something will have to give.

"It's pie in the sky to think we will keep all the CES centres and libraries as they are now," admitted Coun Byrne. "We cannot keep everything going on the current level of finances.

"Every user says their service should not be touched, and tells us to find the money from somewhere else, but unless extra savings can be found, we will have to give some services a higher priority than others."

A final decision will not be made until March 3, when the full council has to set the budget.

"There will be changes between meetings. We have got some leeway," said Coun Byrne.

Tuesday's meeting of the finance sub-committee will also confirm an eight per cent hike in council tax for the coming financial year.

This means an extra £35 for people living in Band A houses, rising to £105 for owners of the most expensive Band H properties.

Meanwhile, a complete restructure of council departments is being discussed, which could bring in huge savings if services are merged, fewer managers are employed and former offices sold off.

The shake-up proposes having just four department heads who would lead four big departments: competitive services, corporate services, development and environment, and a bumper portfolio bringing together education, leisure, social services and housing.

Coun Byrne said reorganisation was going to happen anyway, but the council's financial crisis had forced it forward.

"Whatever we come up with will have to be in place within the next few months.

"If there are major savings, the majority of those will come in the next two years."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.