Paying for services
It's our job to make sure that the way we spend your Council Tax is effective
and efficient. We want to spend as much as possible on services that you
consider to be high priority.
What we've done so far
-
slashed administration costs by around £3.5 million over three years
by taking proper control of the financial management of the Council
-
shifted nearly £1.75 million per year, plus capital funding, into
high priority spending areas such as basic services, recycling, support
for public transport etc
-
controlled the level of the Council's reserves to make sure that your money
is not being unnecessarily hoarded in the bank but is used to provide services
-
paid off £16 million of debt inherited from the years of Labour control,
significantly improving the net income position for future years and increasing
the money that will be available over the next three years for spending
on housing
Our record on local tax
-
in 2001/2 we were able to reduce Council Tax by 1%
-
in 2002/3 we ensured no increase in real terms, i.e. an inflation only
increase, despite a very poor settlement from central government
-
in 2003/4 the Government has adversely changed the funding regime, using
reduced population figures that don't make sense, breaking earlier promises
on allowances for inflation, and withdrawing money for overnight visitors.
For this year we have had to increase the city's share of council tax by
8.5%, one of the lowest increase in the region.
We have shown that a combination of clear political priorities in tune
with public opinion, and careful financial management, can deliver real
value for money.
Our tax policy
Following their change in the funding formula, the Government plans
to remove £1.9 million from the annual grant. This is equivalent
to about £65 on the Council Tax. We will consult with you on the
right balance between cutting back on services that you consider less important
and raising the tax to protect services that you see as a priority.
We will also continue to argue for a fairer form of local tax, based
on your ability to pay rather than the arbitrary valuation of your housing;
and for a fairer share of the local business rate, which currently all
goes to the Treasury.
Published by Keith Edkins on
behalf of Cambridge Liberal Democrats, both of 4 Glisson Road, Cambridge, CB1
2HD
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