Recruiting staff 'biggest issue' says council boss

A shortage of experienced, qualified applicants for vacancies is making a local authority "difficult to run", according to its chief executive.

Duncan Sharkey, of Somerset Council, said the "biggest issue" facing the authority now was the ability to recruit, with most departments struggling to find enough suitable candidates for vacant jobs.

Mr Sharkey also admitted that council bosses "got it wrong" in at least three departments, when they cut more than 500 posts at the authority in the last year.

He said money from reserves was now being used to re-expand the housing team at the council which is "no longer big enough to deal with the workload".

Speaking to councillors in an audit meeting this week, Mr Sharkey said local government was suffering "a lingering death" as it does not have enough money.

His comments came in response to Independent councillor Gwil Wren who told the audit committee meeting the authority was "sinking below the surface" in terms of its finances and ability to deliver services which local people value.

"I'm very upset to be in this position with you all," he told councillors, "it's a terrible position to be in."

The government previously said it would "work with councils on improvement and actions they can take to help manage their position to ensure value for taxpayer money".

Meanwhile, the council's finance director, Clive Heaphy, said the authority was working towards no longer needing exceptional financial support from the government from April 2027.

This special permission has allowed the council to sell off assets and spend that money on day-to-day services, for the last two years.

"I liken it to putting the food shop each week on the mortgage," he said.

Earlier this month, Somerset Council revealed it was proposing raising its share of the precept by at least 4.99% next year and is considering asking permission from the government to go higher.

The council's precept in 2025/26 was allowed to rise by 7.49%, instead of the usual 4.99%, as part of its package of exceptional financial support from the government.

The council's budget plans for the next financial year warn that, even with a proposed council tax rise, the authority is facing a funding gap of £73m - which it said it was "working hard to reduce".

Earlier this year, local government minister Jim McMahon said: "We are under no illusion of the state of council finances and have been clear from the outset on our commitment to get councils back on their feet and rebuild the foundation of local government."

Meanwhile the government has also pledged to provide multi-year settlements from 2026-27 "to provide certainty and economic security to councils setting budgets".

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