Lib Dems call for all party vote against excessive Council Tax rise

Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council are calling for county councillors from all parties to support them in voting against the excessive 2.99% Council Tax rise being proposed by the Conservative Leader and Cabinet to the County Council budget setting meeting on Tuesday.

Cllr Hazel Watson, the Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition on Surrey County Council, says:

"The Budget setting meeting is the time for all County councillors to stand up and be counted. While there is no escaping that to protect services over the coming years there has to be an increase in Council Tax, the plans by the Conservative administration are in excess of what is required to balance the books and are an unnecessary burden on Surrey's Council Taxpayers in the recession.

"I will be calling on county councillors from all parties to join with the Liberal Democrats in voting against the proposed 2.99% Council Tax increase."

Surrey County Council Liberal Democrats propose to save money to protect services include:

• halving the excessive £2 million communications budget spent on PR spin and glossy magazines
• bringing forward from 2016/17 the reorganisation of the Chief Executive's Department, a saving of £800,000
• cutting the £17million spent on consultants and agency staff
• using a small proportion of the County's £112 million of reserves and available balances to fund road resurfacing and important capital projects
• an end to the costly High Court fight against residents over the plans to replace professional library staff with volunteers.

Cllr Watson adds: "We support the additional money for Surrey's highway maintenance and Youth Projects that are in the Budget. In addition we would end the unpopular and ill-conceived proposals for libraries to be run by volunteers, reverse the penny pinching Conservative change of bus passes back to start at 9am from 9.30am and increase funding for road resurfacing.

"We would increase funding to voluntary organisations that provide vital services to Surrey residents."