Council Tax Payers Need To See Real Improvements - In Return For Above Inflation Rise (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

Leeds Liberal Democrats <info@leedslibdems.org.uk>

Council Tax Payers Need To See Real Improvements - In Return For Above Inflation Rise

February 25, 2004 10:30 PM

Band D Council Tax will break the £1,000 barrier for the first time……………

Cllr Mark Harris, Leader of the Opposition Liberal Democrat Group on Leeds City Council has called on the Council to tackle waste and spend its money on major improvements to key services when setting its budget for 2004/05.

Cllr Harris said "The people of Leeds deserve to see some return for the massive increases in Council Tax since the Labour Government was elected in 1997. Since then Council Tax has risen by a massive 57% in Leeds, while Pensioners have seen the basic State Pension increase by only 24%. Our proposals would ensure that funds were targeted to key areas, where they could make a real difference, and remove some of the obscene waste that still exists at the Civic Hall."

"Liberal Democrats would increase spending in key areas such as refuse collection and street cleaning, as well as tackling anti-social behaviour by replacing the Neighbourhood Warden posts which are being scrapped, and doubling the money put aside to part fund more Police Community Support Officers. We would also double the money spent by the Council last year on tackling Graffiti and commit over an extra £1 million to ensure that the lessons learnt by the Streetscene pilot in Headingley can benefit other areas across the City.

"But, equally importantly, the Liberal Democrat amendment would also tackle some of the waste and misuse of funds in the City. First of all we would immediately end the subsidy for the members lounge. Despite promises that the Labour Group would address this issue they have left over £50,000 in the budget to subsidise members meals at the Civic Hall. With the extra allowances for Councillors there is now absolutely no reason to subsidise ourselves in this way. The members lounge should be run on a non-subsidised basis immediately.

"Likewise the money we spend on press and publicity, and on international relations is way over the top. We have a press unit with seven full time posts, backed up by an admin section, along with a communications section. The press unit, with its seven full time members managed to put out the grand total of 23 press releases in the first half of February, sometimes it seems that half the Council's Press Releases are written and circulated by the marketing section of Leisure Services, not by the Press Office. Anyhow, I reckon that works out at just over 3 press releases per member of staff in the press office - over 10 working days. In other words one press release every three days! No-one can say that represents value for money.

"The people of Leeds deserve to see real value for money in their Council, particularly when the Council Tax is rising so much faster than inflation. We believe the resources are there to provide those improvements, and change has to come, sooner rather than later."