INVESTMENT in a number of city projects, a freeze in car parking charges and a scrapping of burial charges for young people have all been revealed in Worcester City Council’s annual budget.
Approving a 2.94 per cent increase in council tax for 2017-2018, council leader Coun Adrian Gregson said the figures delivered a balanced budget for Worcester for the next five years.
But his plans were immediately rejected by Conservative leader Coun Marc Bayliss, who branded the figures a ‘pay more, get less budget’ during increasingly ill-tempered exchanges.
The increase equates to a £5 per year increase to a Band D property and Coun Gregson said spending would be cut from £21million to £19million.
“The city council faces somewhat of an uncertain future. Government grant cutbacks have amounted to 47 per cent since 2010,” he said.
Coun Gregson rounded on the Conservative amendment to freeze council tax for the next year.
“This rise in council tax was agreed by the former Conservative council when they were in charge as it’s in the medium term financial plan,” he said.
“Any policy to freeze council tax is shallow electioneering, particularly when the Conservative administration at County Hall has approved a rise.”
The Labour leader stressed the need for clear leadership through ‘challenging financial times’ and to protect Worcester poorest residents.
But Coun Bayliss criticised the budget and even claimed it would be ripped up when the council moved to a committee system of governing in May.
“So much of this budget is built on sand,” he said.
“The reason for this council tax increase is because of the failed ideology of this administration.
“They oppposed the outsourcing of waste collection services because it would lead to job losses.
“Well, what does this budget have in it? Redundancies!
He claimed the projected £300,000 to £500,000 underspend in the budget would ‘comfortably’ fund a freeze in council tax.
“We have set out a sensible way to freeze it for the next year. Car parking continues to be a cash cow that delivers for this council,” he added.
Despite his plea, the proposal to freeze council tax was oppposed by the Labour and Green councillors who then rubber stamped Labour’s budget by 18 votes to 15.
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