Surrey protects key services for local people - Council Tax rise limited to 4.4% despite government under-funding (6th February)

SCC’s Councillors today agreed a budget to meet obligations to vulnerable adults and children, improve the quality of life and keep the council tax as low as possible.

Faced with an increase of 0.4% in government grant, Leader of the Council Nick Skellett said, “despite the cynical manipulation of the local government funding system by this government, there is more money in this budget for families, libraries and voluntary organisations. Without the Business Delivery Review (BDR) last year and the £30m plus savings it brought, the Council would today have to make direct service cuts”.

Other councillors pointed out that given the grant received from government, pensioners in Surrey were subsidising working people elsewhere in the country.

The Liberal Democrats voted for the 4.4% increase in council tax, yet also voted against the budget on which the 4.4% figure was based, prompting disbelief form Conservative members. SCC’s Liberal Democrats also proposed no budget ideas of their own, despite having voted against BDR last year. Their failure to produce a budget provoked criticism from not only Conservatives but members of other groups as well.

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Budget highlights:

¨ 5% cash increase in subsidies for bus services.

¨ £29.9m increase in funding for families providing services for vulnerable children and adults.

¨ An increase for libraries and culture of £250k above inflation.

Full funding of the Local Transport Plan at £25.225m, plus a further £2m of borrowing for capital investment.