11:06pm Thursday 25th February 2010
By Mark Stead
COUNCIL taxpayers in York will see their bills rise by 2.7 per cent after the city’s political chiefs rubber-stamped their budget plans for next year tonight.
The increase will be the lowest in City of York Council’s history – although it will still be higher than many other local authorities across Yorkshire – and mean the average Band D property-owner paying an extra £35.27.
At a Guildhall meeting tonight, the ruling Liberal Democrats were able to push their budget proposals through when the Green Party gave their support in return for the inclusion of some of their plans and the Conservative group chose to abstain.
The budget will also see parking charges and Park&Ride fares frozen, £1 million ploughed into road maintenance schemes and a 20p cut in one-day ResPark permits, as well as £250,000 being spent on improved street lighting and an additional £1.5 million concentrated on looking after children in the council’s care.
The authority plans to cut costs by £10.1 million in 2010/11 through departmental savings and measures marked out by the More for York efficiency programme, including reducing staffing levels by about 35 posts, although some of this will be achieved by vacancies not being filled.
But the Labour group's proposal to prevent £2,000 of bowling green maintenance being sliced from next year’s budget won through after receiving support from the Conservatives, while £1,000 in extra cash towards staging York’s Festival of Remembrance and Community Carol Concert was also secured for each of the events.
In a late twist, the Lib Dems also announced an additional £34,000 to support York’s carers, although a £20,000 reduction in respite care – which will equate to about 200 fewer weeks of care – was condemned by opposition parties.
Council leader Andrew Waller described his party’s plans as “about getting York in the right place to benefit from the recovery when it comes”.
“While we believe the council tax is an inherently unfair tax on people with low incomes and low-earners, York has one of the lowest council taxes in the country and charges the least of any authority in Yorkshire for council services,” he said.
“York needs an administration which will stand up for the city, not roll over.”
But Labour leader David Scott – who saw some of his party’s other proposed amendments, including extending the YOzone bus card discounts, a £25 reduction in council tax for over-75s and free breakfasts for those eligible for free school meals, voted down – said: “Coun Waller can talk the talk, sometimes, but he can’t walk the walk, and the only walk he should be doing is the walk of shame.
“We have had seven wasted years of wasted resources from the Lib Dems. They have let down the residents of York and they will continue to let them down.”
And Conservative leader Ian Gillies, who branded some of Labour’s plans a mix of “incompetence and stealth”, said: “The Lib Dem budget is really just business as usual – it’s not fatally flawed but, as usual, there’s nothing there.”
BAND A
2009/10: £881.48
2010/11: £905.00
BAND B
2009/10: £1,028.40
2010/11: £1,055.83
BAND C
2009/10: £1,175.31
2010/11: £1,206.66
BAND D
2009/10: £1,322.23
2010/11: £1,357.50
BAND E
2009/10: £1,616.06
2010/11: £1,659.17
BAND F
2009/10: £1,909.89
2010/11: £1,960.93
BAND G
2009/10: £2,203.71
2010/11: £2,262.50
BAND H
2009/10: £2,644.46
2010/11: £2,715.00
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