Like other councils in the area, we have been busy working to balance our books for the services we will continue to offer residents in the coming year.

Ours is a comprehensive package, which builds on our strong principles of fairness, reducing inequalities, protecting our most vulnerable and our environment while always seeking value for money and sound financial policies.

We consulted widely within Monmouthshire before coming up with the final package, which we amended after members of the public and stakeholders made helpful observations.

Like elsewhere in Wales, local authority budgets have been put under more and more pressure, with the block grant payment by HM Treasury to the Welsh government failing to even come close to what is needed.

While almost weekly we hear of special arrangements for critical spending budgets in England, Wales rarely gets a look in. Party politics are at play.

For almost two years now have tried to engender a more inclusive approach in our county.

While there are always going to be stark and fundamental differences across the political divide, there also areas, surely, where we can find common ground.

That appears not to be the case and I am saddened by the approach of the opposition in our council chamber. I had hoped to be able to say that at least sometimes we put party differences to one side on our patch.

In setting our budget, I would have been delighted to have been able to incorporate constructive ideas from all quarters.

However, our Labour-Green coalition only experienced negative comments from the opposition, who offered no ideas idea of their own during budget discussions.

So be it. Our team have been both innovative and prudent, while continuing to work to improve the lives of the people of Monmouthshire.

There is much more we would love to be able to do. But in the current economic climate, we need to be realistic. Circumstances beyond our control and boundaries determine what has been possible.

We have found creative ways of protecting the services we offer despite the challenges which we face in terms of rising costs and unhelpful inflation. It has taken skill determination, effort and understanding. And there is no indication at present that it will get any easier in the future.

Meanwhile I still hope that in some way, at some time, we can have a more constructive relationship with our opposition, and not just listen to them carping from the sidelines.