I know none of you dear readers can get enough of what's going on in the local political scene, so here's some more!
Reading Post reports on this month's council meeting by concentrating on the upheavals in the ranks of Taxi-drivers.
Outside the Civic Centre a protest by licensees over the sale of vehicle licenses was designed to highlight the economic plight of this vocal and close-knit group.
However, as a mirror of the changing political climate, Linda Fort exposes how political differences among members of the Reading Taxi Association has resulted in a three-way split.
So it was left up to local councillors to cover the fuller range of business on the agenda.
Cllr Goodall decided to make use of Twitter in providing a live personalised report of proceedings and he also went to the effort of aggregating his tweets into a complete account on his blog.
Conservative Cllr Luckett provides an overview of events as he describes the light-hearted start to the evening which was followed by a series of events each of which he describes in turn as 'bizarre'.
He chooses to turn attack dog against the LibDems over their stance on the Civic Centre relocation plans and the 10:10 Climate Change motion while relegating the finance discussion, which LibDem Cllr Duveen summarises as the main political difference to emerge during the evening.
Reading Borough Council's annual accounts were signed off during August, but a £3.6m 'windfall' from reclaimed VAT payments going back to the 1970's has since been added to the budget - good news at a time of economic crisis you might think, but it resulted in an unseemly spat over how to spend it.
Conservative Cllr Stevens had proposed keeping it in the budget to fund a freeze on Council Tax next year, but Labour argued this was irresponsible management. Cllr Lovelock said you can't "simply magic away" current budget pressures.
This led to tories responding with the accusation that Labour had failed to stick to their budgets, while Labour struck back by saying the Conservatives didn't care about vulnerable people who depend on those services.
Holding the balance of power the LibDems then took their turn to warn Labour that the cash shouldn't be used to bail them out of their troubles, as Cllr Swaine said it should be used "for people who needed to be protected."
In the end the Labour proposal passed with LibDem support, so it was no wonder Conservatives got peeved!
Meanwhile Cllr Willis steers clear of politics by providing a record of the questions he posed and the answers he recieved.
-
Update: Cllr Willis gives a much more politicised account of the political items on the agenda.
Showing posts with label Reading Budget 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading Budget 2009. Show all posts
Friday, 23 October 2009
Monday, 13 July 2009
Scrutiny On The Administration: Pay & Conditions
The annual round of trades union negotiations for staff in the public sector has brought the bread-and-butter issue of pay under the spotlight.
With a budgetary squeeze it came as no surprise that the deal offered would not be as generous as in other years. Anna Roberts reports that as many as 113 (out of approximately 5,000) council staff may be affected by a new pay grading, while pressures of legal challenges to diffential pay scales will also need to be handled carefully.
Union officials were predictably angry that their members are in the line of fire and that some of those who can least afford it are due to lose out.
Meanwhile pay for the top bureaucrats in the borough was noted when a reply to that longstanding question was given to a Conservative enquiry at a recent council meeting - apparently 5 borough executives earn salaries above £100,000 per year, in addition to two Head Teachers paid for out of the public purse.
With a budgetary squeeze it came as no surprise that the deal offered would not be as generous as in other years. Anna Roberts reports that as many as 113 (out of approximately 5,000) council staff may be affected by a new pay grading, while pressures of legal challenges to diffential pay scales will also need to be handled carefully.
Union officials were predictably angry that their members are in the line of fire and that some of those who can least afford it are due to lose out.
Meanwhile pay for the top bureaucrats in the borough was noted when a reply to that longstanding question was given to a Conservative enquiry at a recent council meeting - apparently 5 borough executives earn salaries above £100,000 per year, in addition to two Head Teachers paid for out of the public purse.
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Budget Debate Continues: Councillor Allowances Frozen
As national politicians continue to make unjustified expense claims the local focus has shifted onto whether our Reading councillors offer value for money during these straitened economic times.
Although Labour's original proposal was for a 1% rise in the basic allowance package (as part of a total increase of 2%), pressure exerted by the budget review to find £400,000 of savings has forced Labour to reverse their policy in order to gain the votes to pass the motion necessary for them to maintain their leadership of RBC.
Councillor allowances will now return to 2007/8 levels.
The basic allowance for a councillor (reimbursing time spent fulfilling official duties) will now reduce from £8,447 to £8,220.
Compensation for additional responsibilities will also fall. Leader of the Council (currently Labour's Jo Lovelock) will recieve an extra £7,782 (down from £7,996). Lead councillors on the cabinet and the main opposition group (currently Conservative Andrew Cumpsty) will receive £4,240 (previously £4,357), while junior opposition group leader (currently LibDem Gareth Epps) and committee chairpersons will receive £2,386 (previously £2,452).
Reading Chronicle helpfully does the sums:
Council leader Jo Lovelock - £16,002; Deputy leader Tony Page - £14,578; Cabinet members and Tory leader Andrew Cumpsty - £12,460; Scrutiny/committee chairs and Lib Dem leader Gareth Epps - £10,606; Other councillors - £8,220.
Other allowances for legitimate expenses are also maintained at previous levels.
Party politics played a large role in the debate as Reading Conservatives explained that they wanted to 'send the right message' to voters, but were attacked for failing to make any formal proposals during the budget negotiations.
LibDems were praised for their honesty as they decried Conservative behaviour as "gesture politics" while nevertheless supporting the freeze which will only result in savings of £12,000.
Cllr Warren Swaine (LibDem, Katesgrove) provides an insightful commentary on the discussions.
He says "some councillors really do earn their allowances... others are lazy and feckless" and tentatively calculates a Performance Related Pay League table for all 46 RBC councillors (placing himself 13th).
Oranjepan says:
Some councillors spend hundreds of hours every year attending meetings, actively scrutinising council processes and helping residents with casework, often taking unpaid leave from work to do so.
We need an accurate way of calculating which councillors offer better value for money.
-
Update: Cllr Willis lauds the proposal as it is now policy.
Although Labour's original proposal was for a 1% rise in the basic allowance package (as part of a total increase of 2%), pressure exerted by the budget review to find £400,000 of savings has forced Labour to reverse their policy in order to gain the votes to pass the motion necessary for them to maintain their leadership of RBC.
Councillor allowances will now return to 2007/8 levels.
The basic allowance for a councillor (reimbursing time spent fulfilling official duties) will now reduce from £8,447 to £8,220.
Compensation for additional responsibilities will also fall. Leader of the Council (currently Labour's Jo Lovelock) will recieve an extra £7,782 (down from £7,996). Lead councillors on the cabinet and the main opposition group (currently Conservative Andrew Cumpsty) will receive £4,240 (previously £4,357), while junior opposition group leader (currently LibDem Gareth Epps) and committee chairpersons will receive £2,386 (previously £2,452).
Reading Chronicle helpfully does the sums:
Council leader Jo Lovelock - £16,002; Deputy leader Tony Page - £14,578; Cabinet members and Tory leader Andrew Cumpsty - £12,460; Scrutiny/committee chairs and Lib Dem leader Gareth Epps - £10,606; Other councillors - £8,220.
Other allowances for legitimate expenses are also maintained at previous levels.
Party politics played a large role in the debate as Reading Conservatives explained that they wanted to 'send the right message' to voters, but were attacked for failing to make any formal proposals during the budget negotiations.
LibDems were praised for their honesty as they decried Conservative behaviour as "gesture politics" while nevertheless supporting the freeze which will only result in savings of £12,000.
Cllr Warren Swaine (LibDem, Katesgrove) provides an insightful commentary on the discussions.
He says "some councillors really do earn their allowances... others are lazy and feckless" and tentatively calculates a Performance Related Pay League table for all 46 RBC councillors (placing himself 13th).
Oranjepan says:
Some councillors spend hundreds of hours every year attending meetings, actively scrutinising council processes and helping residents with casework, often taking unpaid leave from work to do so.
We need an accurate way of calculating which councillors offer better value for money.
-
Update: Cllr Willis lauds the proposal as it is now policy.
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Round-Up: Totting Up The Budget
Reading's LibDems appear to be the victors in the political finance debate after forcing the ruling Labour group to submit to their demands, while the main opposition Conservative group was shown to be ineffectual and was reduced to issuing a protest motion.
Redlands LibDems and Katesgrove LibDems provide the substantive information of the changes they introduced.
-These include the overall measures:
i)Reducing tax increases as far as legally permitted according to central government 'economic competence' regulations.
ii)Ensuring the Council's overdraft isn't over-extended during the economic downturn by replenishing reserves.
Oranjepan says:
It is interesting that Conservative Party leader David Cameron's advice to "fix the roof while the sun shines" in his response during the national Budget debate is at odds with his party message at local level.
-Savings:
i)A freeze on councillors' allowances and reduction on 'refreshments' at council meetings
ii)£200,000 cut in council marketing and PR, as well as a reduction in excessive fees and costs due to management, consultants and agency staffing
iii)A cross-party budget review group to identify further waste.
Oranjepan says:
It is interesting that Conservatives voted against all these measures, despite a lot of noise about the issues of over-inflated wages (from group strategist Cllr Willis) and 'a performance improvement programme' (from group leader Cllr Cumpsty). They obviously want extra perks for themselves, but not for anyone else.
-And the 'targetted' measures:
i)Reducing charges for bulky waste collection for low income households
ii)A “Green Hit Squad” to tackle fly tipping
iii)A communications budget for the local police Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAG) - for the setting of local policing priorities according to resident's concerns
iv)More speed guns for the police – to catch drivers who break the law (instead of the eyesore fixed cameras designed to raise revenue but are not accepted as court evidence and indiscriminately invade everyone's civil liberties).
Oranjepan says:
Again, it is interesting that the Conservatives failed to support these measures despite using them as campaigning issues (see here and here).
-
As Cllr Warren Swaine says on his personal site:
Here is the text of the Conservative motion proposed by Cllr Mark Ralph:
Redlands LibDems and Katesgrove LibDems provide the substantive information of the changes they introduced.
-These include the overall measures:
i)Reducing tax increases as far as legally permitted according to central government 'economic competence' regulations.
ii)Ensuring the Council's overdraft isn't over-extended during the economic downturn by replenishing reserves.
Oranjepan says:
It is interesting that Conservative Party leader David Cameron's advice to "fix the roof while the sun shines" in his response during the national Budget debate is at odds with his party message at local level.
-Savings:
i)A freeze on councillors' allowances and reduction on 'refreshments' at council meetings
ii)£200,000 cut in council marketing and PR, as well as a reduction in excessive fees and costs due to management, consultants and agency staffing
iii)A cross-party budget review group to identify further waste.
Oranjepan says:
It is interesting that Conservatives voted against all these measures, despite a lot of noise about the issues of over-inflated wages (from group strategist Cllr Willis) and 'a performance improvement programme' (from group leader Cllr Cumpsty). They obviously want extra perks for themselves, but not for anyone else.
-And the 'targetted' measures:
i)Reducing charges for bulky waste collection for low income households
ii)A “Green Hit Squad” to tackle fly tipping
iii)A communications budget for the local police Neighbourhood Action Groups (NAG) - for the setting of local policing priorities according to resident's concerns
iv)More speed guns for the police – to catch drivers who break the law (instead of the eyesore fixed cameras designed to raise revenue but are not accepted as court evidence and indiscriminately invade everyone's civil liberties).
Oranjepan says:
Again, it is interesting that the Conservatives failed to support these measures despite using them as campaigning issues (see here and here).
-
As Cllr Warren Swaine says on his personal site:
"...any neutral observer of the process would have to conclude that there was anything other than a pact as Labour were dragged kicking and screaming to support the Lib Dem budget amendments.-
It's a verifiable fact that since this council went to no overall control last May, the Conservatives have constantly voted with the Labour party and against the Lib Dems. They are the real party in bed with Labour".
Here is the text of the Conservative motion proposed by Cllr Mark Ralph:
'To recognise that any increase in Council Tax will present real difficulties to those reliant on savings impacted by low interest rates, those on low and fixed incomes and to some of our more vulnerable residents.
To commit to fully explore the help available to alleviate hardship that is likely to result and communicate this to residents of the Borough before demands for payment are made'
Budget: Calculations Complete
Following the agreement over Reading's new budget for the forthcoming financial year, everyone has started reaching for their calculators to see what the impact will be - which is apposite.
The Chief Committee Officer for the borough provides the official record and the local evening newspaper reports in a more informal tone.
The final figures come out as:
Band A – £978.29
Band B – £1,141.33
Band C – £1,304.38
Band D – £1,467.43
Band E – £1,793.53
Band F – £2,119.62
Band G – £2,445.72
Band H – £2,934.86
The Chief Committee Officer for the borough provides the official record and the local evening newspaper reports in a more informal tone.
The final figures come out as:
Band A – £978.29
Band B – £1,141.33
Band C – £1,304.38
Band D – £1,467.43
Band E – £1,793.53
Band F – £2,119.62
Band G – £2,445.72
Band H – £2,934.86
Monday, 2 March 2009
Council Tax Rise Set at 3.99%
Reading's 19 Labour, 8 Liberal Democrat and one Independent councillors have all agreed to support proposed spending plans for 2009/10, passing the £120m budget almost before any latecomers had taken their seats.
The revised plan essentially sees Labour cave in to all LibDem demands, reversing the position which saw an amendment defeated in the first installment of these sessions.
Tories were left fuming on the sidelines as they failed in their attempt to topple the minority Labour administration with a series of partisan blocking tactics and angrily branded the announcement the start of a Labour-LibDem coalition - Conservative group leader, Andrew Cumpsty, and his deputy, Tom Steele, complained they had both cancelled holiday plans out of a sense of 'civic responsibility' to attend the 15-minute session.
LibDem leader Cllr Gareth Epps, who brokered the cross-party deal, described the Conservative approach as 'disgraceful', explaining that their behaviour had threatened to paralyse the services offered by the local authority.
Update: Jane catches on to the news.
Cllr Glenn Goodall responds to claims that the Libdems are 'propping up' the dying Labour administration, identifying the lack of any alternative proposals from the Conservatives as the major factor limiting the voting choices for councillors.
Experienced independent councillor, Tony Jones, explains why he voted for the budget and warns the Conservatives about the consequences of their disingenuity.
The revised plan essentially sees Labour cave in to all LibDem demands, reversing the position which saw an amendment defeated in the first installment of these sessions.
Tories were left fuming on the sidelines as they failed in their attempt to topple the minority Labour administration with a series of partisan blocking tactics and angrily branded the announcement the start of a Labour-LibDem coalition - Conservative group leader, Andrew Cumpsty, and his deputy, Tom Steele, complained they had both cancelled holiday plans out of a sense of 'civic responsibility' to attend the 15-minute session.
LibDem leader Cllr Gareth Epps, who brokered the cross-party deal, described the Conservative approach as 'disgraceful', explaining that their behaviour had threatened to paralyse the services offered by the local authority.
Update: Jane catches on to the news.
Cllr Glenn Goodall responds to claims that the Libdems are 'propping up' the dying Labour administration, identifying the lack of any alternative proposals from the Conservatives as the major factor limiting the voting choices for councillors.
Experienced independent councillor, Tony Jones, explains why he voted for the budget and warns the Conservatives about the consequences of their disingenuity.
Council Jobs Losses Likely Across Berkshire
According to a BBC report, four out of five Berkshire local authorities are planning cuts to their employment levels as a result of annual budget negotiations, although Reading refused to comment for fear of prejudicing the ongoing discussions.
Tonite's the Night...
One way or another the matter of our local Council Tax must be settled this evening, so if you are attending you may want to bring some refreshments (pizza and cakes?) to sustain you through what insiders are already predicting will be another marathon session.
This time round negotiations have begun early, with Redlands councillor Kirsten Bayes setting out the stall of the Liberal Democrats. She explains what is required for a budget to be lawful.
Meanwhile, Reading Labour party has retrospectively added this press release to launch a partisan attack on the tories.
Council Leader Jo Lovelock says of her opposite number that Cllr Cumpsty is "all spin and no substance" (and is apparantly able to do so without any trace of irony). She also makes the outlandish categorical claim that the Tories proposed Council Tax freeze couldn't be made without painful cuts, yet fails to mention the £2.7m she cites is a figure of required savings - who's being "cruelly dishonest" here?
The only thing Reading List predicts will be in the air is a distinct whiff of acrimony - Mick is prepared.
Kick-off is 6.30pm in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre.
Update: REP's Linda Fort gets in on the action. Remarkably there is no questioning of the Conservative's bland assertions - surely setting a budget is as much about saying what you will spend the money on as is it is about how much you will spend and where it will come from.
Cllr Glenn Goodall has questioned the impartiality of the local press in their reporting of these vital discussions.
This time round negotiations have begun early, with Redlands councillor Kirsten Bayes setting out the stall of the Liberal Democrats. She explains what is required for a budget to be lawful.
Meanwhile, Reading Labour party has retrospectively added this press release to launch a partisan attack on the tories.
Council Leader Jo Lovelock says of her opposite number that Cllr Cumpsty is "all spin and no substance" (and is apparantly able to do so without any trace of irony). She also makes the outlandish categorical claim that the Tories proposed Council Tax freeze couldn't be made without painful cuts, yet fails to mention the £2.7m she cites is a figure of required savings - who's being "cruelly dishonest" here?
The only thing Reading List predicts will be in the air is a distinct whiff of acrimony - Mick is prepared.
Kick-off is 6.30pm in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre.
Update: REP's Linda Fort gets in on the action. Remarkably there is no questioning of the Conservative's bland assertions - surely setting a budget is as much about saying what you will spend the money on as is it is about how much you will spend and where it will come from.
Cllr Glenn Goodall has questioned the impartiality of the local press in their reporting of these vital discussions.
Friday, 27 February 2009
Budget Delay: The Free-Market View
Arch-freemarketeer and local MP for Wokingham, John Redwood, has hit back at the extremists on either side of the Council Tax debate.
While clearly on the side of reducing the tax take in real terms, it would also appear Mr Redwood opposes the public demands by Conservative partisans in Reading for a nominal reduction or freeze [1].
Oranjepan says:
The confrontational approach which has been adopted by both Cllr Cumpsty's Conservatives and Cllr Lovelock's Labour is a blatant gambit designed to avoid any compromise - their duel for political dominance is at the expense of economic good sense and our social well-being.
While clearly on the side of reducing the tax take in real terms, it would also appear Mr Redwood opposes the public demands by Conservative partisans in Reading for a nominal reduction or freeze [1].
Oranjepan says:
The confrontational approach which has been adopted by both Cllr Cumpsty's Conservatives and Cllr Lovelock's Labour is a blatant gambit designed to avoid any compromise - their duel for political dominance is at the expense of economic good sense and our social well-being.
Budget Delay: The Common Sense View
Self-styled voice of 'common sense', Howard Thomas, sticks his oar in to the growing debate to argue that the Council Tax is unfair and needs replacing.
Oranjepan says:
Council Tax may be unfair, but as Government's preferred 'least worst option' it would require significant new analysis to suggest a better alternative.
Oranjepan says:
Council Tax may be unfair, but as Government's preferred 'least worst option' it would require significant new analysis to suggest a better alternative.
Budget Delay: The Independent View
Cllr Tony Jones reports that the delay in setting the annual budget may have already cost the council £60,000.
Oranjepan asks:
How much would it cost the local economy to set a bad budget?
Oranjepan asks:
How much would it cost the local economy to set a bad budget?
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Budget Delay: The Media View
Reading Evening Post has entered the political fray to apportion blame for the delay over setting the annual budget.
Oranjepan asks:
Why do they always blame the little guys?
Oranjepan asks:
Why do they always blame the little guys?
Budget Debate Assumes Greater Significance
Another lengthy council session reached no decision on Reading's annual budget and lead to warnings from Chief Financial Officer David Peasley that failure to reach agreement could see services temporarily halted.
Council Leader Cllr Jo Lovelock (Labour) repeated declaredly her impatience with the refusal of the town's eight Liberal Democrats to be 'bounced' into supporting her minority administration.
Conservative leader Cllr Andrew Cumpsty also pushed for a more polarised debate saying that the parties are too far apart to make negotiations worthwhile.
LibDems defended their position on pragmatic grounds, stating that they remain open to negotiation (and what lengths they have gone to achieve it) but added that agreement is possible only when parties are prepared to make concessions.
Councillors will now will reconvene for a third time on Monday evening as each side battles to influence the direction for the next generation. The meeting starts at 6.30pm and is open to the public.
In the meantime Conservatives have launched a press campaign to appeal to the public over the heads of elected representatives while they attempt to bring about the collapse of the current regime.
Oranjepan asks:
Why are Reading's Conservatives attempting to mount an undemocratic coup to bring about tax restraint while their party colleagues across the county are doing the exact opposite?
Update: Janestheone throws a couple of curve balls.
LibDem Cllr Warren Swaine accuses the tories of lying to the public and issues a rallying call to stand up to the bullying tactics of the larger two parties.
An intemperate Reading Chronicle describes the delicate process of negotiating under a minority administration as 'farcical'.
=
Click here for a full comparison of Council Tax rises in the different local authorities across Berkshire.
Council Leader Cllr Jo Lovelock (Labour) repeated declaredly her impatience with the refusal of the town's eight Liberal Democrats to be 'bounced' into supporting her minority administration.
Conservative leader Cllr Andrew Cumpsty also pushed for a more polarised debate saying that the parties are too far apart to make negotiations worthwhile.
LibDems defended their position on pragmatic grounds, stating that they remain open to negotiation (and what lengths they have gone to achieve it) but added that agreement is possible only when parties are prepared to make concessions.
Councillors will now will reconvene for a third time on Monday evening as each side battles to influence the direction for the next generation. The meeting starts at 6.30pm and is open to the public.
In the meantime Conservatives have launched a press campaign to appeal to the public over the heads of elected representatives while they attempt to bring about the collapse of the current regime.
Oranjepan asks:
Why are Reading's Conservatives attempting to mount an undemocratic coup to bring about tax restraint while their party colleagues across the county are doing the exact opposite?
Update: Janestheone throws a couple of curve balls.
LibDem Cllr Warren Swaine accuses the tories of lying to the public and issues a rallying call to stand up to the bullying tactics of the larger two parties.
An intemperate Reading Chronicle describes the delicate process of negotiating under a minority administration as 'farcical'.
=
Click here for a full comparison of Council Tax rises in the different local authorities across Berkshire.
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Council Reaches Impasse on Annual Budget
Reading's local politicians will reconvene tonight after another marathon session in which they failed to reach a decision on the borough's Annual Budget.
Residents will now need to wait to find out by how much our £100m+ income will vary and how it will be spent.
Jane collects a couple of reactions from opposition bench councillors Richard Willis (Con) and Glenn Goodall (LibDem), but Labour have yet to react to their humiliation and are still publishing their proposals as news.
The rundown: Labour proposed a rise in Council Tax to increase spending on areas of weakness, which was defeated by an alliance of opposition parties.
The LibDems moved a compromise amendment to trim spending on waste (on consultancy and agency fees), introduce a levy on bulky waste and keep wasteful tax rises to a minimum, but this was also laid to waste - this time by a grand alliance of the two larger parties.
The Conservatives made it plain that they support a variety of across the board but unspecified service cuts and charge increases as they seek to implement a unilateral freeze on Council Tax. However they actively worked only as wreckers to any agreement without introducing any proposals themselves.
Oranjepan says:
Cllr Willis's references make it plain that the Conservatives are preparing to mount a revolution outside of an election year. Will they succeed? We'll find out tonight!
Update: Welcome back to the blogosphere to Cllr Emma Warman (Con). She says her party opposed raising the Council Tax to stop Reading being squeezed dry, but she doesn't explain why Reading's group of opposition Conservatives contradict Conservative groups across Berkshire where they are in charge. Neither does she explain why no alternate proposals were forthcoming from her side.
Reading Chronicle fails to meet it's publishing deadline.
Former LibDem Councillor Annette Hendry has added an informative comment:
=
Click here for a full comparison of Council Tax rises in the different local authorities across Berkshire.
Residents will now need to wait to find out by how much our £100m+ income will vary and how it will be spent.
Jane collects a couple of reactions from opposition bench councillors Richard Willis (Con) and Glenn Goodall (LibDem), but Labour have yet to react to their humiliation and are still publishing their proposals as news.
The rundown: Labour proposed a rise in Council Tax to increase spending on areas of weakness, which was defeated by an alliance of opposition parties.
The LibDems moved a compromise amendment to trim spending on waste (on consultancy and agency fees), introduce a levy on bulky waste and keep wasteful tax rises to a minimum, but this was also laid to waste - this time by a grand alliance of the two larger parties.
The Conservatives made it plain that they support a variety of across the board but unspecified service cuts and charge increases as they seek to implement a unilateral freeze on Council Tax. However they actively worked only as wreckers to any agreement without introducing any proposals themselves.
Oranjepan says:
Cllr Willis's references make it plain that the Conservatives are preparing to mount a revolution outside of an election year. Will they succeed? We'll find out tonight!
Update: Welcome back to the blogosphere to Cllr Emma Warman (Con). She says her party opposed raising the Council Tax to stop Reading being squeezed dry, but she doesn't explain why Reading's group of opposition Conservatives contradict Conservative groups across Berkshire where they are in charge. Neither does she explain why no alternate proposals were forthcoming from her side.
Reading Chronicle fails to meet it's publishing deadline.
Former LibDem Councillor Annette Hendry has added an informative comment:
I sat and listened to the Budget debate from the public gallery on Tuesday. I was particularly worried that Reading has a bunch of Conservative Cllrs, who are aspiring to take control next year, but seem unable to make any positive contribution to setting the Council's annual budget - a basic responsibility for a council. Their speeches raised more questions than they answered. Where will they get the extra money they want to spend on some services while freezing council tax? If they're so concerned with keeping down costs, why did they oppose the cuts put forward by the Lib Dems? Why did the Tories have no specific costed suggestions of their own to make? Why did the Tory leader oppose the budget by saying, "It's not right for these times", without any indication of what would be right? This poor performance won't do. Neither is it advisable to make statements like, "If you want the lowest possible council Tax then Conservatives will provide that", when Conservative controlled Wokingham have just announced a Council tax rise of 4.68%! This compares with Labour's proposed rise of 4.24% and the Lib Dems' proposal of 3.9% in Reading.
=
Click here for a full comparison of Council Tax rises in the different local authorities across Berkshire.
Friday, 6 February 2009
Council Tax Rise Leaked to Local Press
Reading's Council Tax will rise by 4.24% this year.
At least it will if the minority Labour party group get their way, according to reports in the local press.
The announcement comes as council's across the county announce their budgets for the upcoming financial year. Maidenhead were the first to declare, stating that their rise would amount to 2.9% on an average house.
Labour Leader Jo Lovelock told the Evening Post, "this year’s budget is more challenging than usual."
Reading Chronicle takes a slightly different angle, highlighting the impact on council jobs.
Oranjepan says:
1.9% in an election year, 4.24% in a year when there are no council elections in Reading - say no more!
=
Click here for a full comparison of Council Tax rises in the different local authorities across Berkshire.
At least it will if the minority Labour party group get their way, according to reports in the local press.
The announcement comes as council's across the county announce their budgets for the upcoming financial year. Maidenhead were the first to declare, stating that their rise would amount to 2.9% on an average house.
Labour Leader Jo Lovelock told the Evening Post, "this year’s budget is more challenging than usual."
Reading Chronicle takes a slightly different angle, highlighting the impact on council jobs.
Oranjepan says:
1.9% in an election year, 4.24% in a year when there are no council elections in Reading - say no more!
=
Click here for a full comparison of Council Tax rises in the different local authorities across Berkshire.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
