East Riding Budget News

The Conservatives acknowledge that the Governments review of the funding formula has given much needed extra money to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. But the Conservative group are deeply disappointed that the full benefit of this is not being passed on to the council tax payers of East Yorkshire.

 

A Conservative proposed budget increase of only 2% was outvoted by a combination of Lib Dem and Labour Councillors. In spite of the fact that the Conservative budget preserved front line services, through efficiency savings and some restructuring. The tax saving plans were cast aside by the combined might of the other political parties.

 

The Labour Group, Lib Dem Group and Independent Councillors combined together to put forward plans bringing an increase of double the rate of inflation in the taxes residents of the East Riding will have to pay.

 

The Conservative Group refused to take part in a “cherry picking” exercise where councillors went down a list of budget options choosing whether or not to include them in their plans.

 

Commenting on the process Cllr Owen from Driffield stated “we could not agree to a process which simply went down a list of options which were ranked in no order of priority saying yes or no to the spending. The budget is of such importance that it needs to be treated much more seriously, we are not just strolling round a sweet shop picking a few choice goodies from a completely random row of jars, we could not be a part of that pantomime.”

 

Cllr Fraser remarked: “The Conservative leader Steve Parnaby had put together a deliverable budget which passed on real savings to residents of the East Riding but the other groups would not back our plans. People on fixed incomes and those who are the least able to afford the rises are going to be worst hit by this inflation busting rise.”