COUNCIL leaders will be urged to slash council tax increases to less than seven per cent at tonight's budget meeting.

The proposals, nearly one per cent lower than levels due to be considered by City of York Council, will be made by its Conservative group.

Tory leader John Galvin said: "The proposed council tax increase facing the residents of York is appalling and, while my group is looking to reduce the increase from 7.8 per cent to just over 6.8 per cent, it is still far too high and three times more than inflation.

"It is estimated that some £1.2 million to £1.5 million is spent by York council on bureaucracy to meet the requirements of national government legislation with very little benefit to the services provided by the city council.

"This money could be saved or better spent on front line services."

The council has already reduced proposals for a 9.5 per cent rise after discovering it had more money in its coffers than expected.

It found less pupils needed to be funded through city schools than was first thought, and more council tax was collected than expected.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrat group's finance spokesman, Peter Vaughan, has announced proposals which he claims would cut council spending by £500,000 by targeting greater value for money.

In a series of meetings with council officers, Coun Vaughan has drawn up a list of possible savings which will be proposed at tonight's meeting.

They include:

- Cutting an estimated £200,000 by improved management of purchasing goods and services, including a greater emphasis on bulk buying

- l £100,000 of savings through more prudent management of the authority's budget

- £100,000 through reduction in absence through sickness. Coun Vaughan said about £3.5 million is lost a year, with an average of 10.8 sick days per worker a year

- £100,000 by creating a panel to consider if vacant posts need to be filled.

Coun Vaughan said: "Far too little effort has been made to ensure that council tax payers in York are receiving value for money."

All of the proposals will be discussed by the full council tonight.

Updated: 11:51 Thursday, February 21, 2002