Common Sense - Tax rise for East Riding

The Full East Riding Council met today, with shocking results.  In record time the six Independent members saw the common ground offered by the Conservatives’ proposals for next year’s Council Tax, and through a fast negotiation process helped push through a very workable budget.   This is positively ground breaking and augers well for the future.

 

The final figure for the ERYC will be a 5.1% increase in council tax which equates to a 42p per week rise for a Band D property. 

 

Safeguarded are our children’s education, with half a million extra allocated to their base budgets, and a further half million for special projects under the “Excellence Fund”.  Also vastly enhanced will be our footpaths and general street cleanliness and appeal, with an extra £275,000 and £175,000 respectively being added to their budgets.  Our leisure provision is also protected with an extra £63,000 to avoid cuts in services.

 

Cllr Jonathan Owen, who has played a large part in researching and compiling the budget, along with the Leader, Cllr Steve Parnaby, said, “This budget is firmly based in sensible principles – that not only services but also the tax payer should be protected.  Here we have a good basis for our work next year.”

 

Cllr Symon Fraser concurred; “It would be great to be able to put chunks of money into innovative projects, but without a fairer system of funding from central government we are limited to doing the best we can with what little we have for all our residents.”

 

Cllr Felicity Temple commented, “I am delighted that agreement was reached so quickly.   Obviously our sensible, well-thought out proposals struck a chord.  Our Group were able to make a minor adjustment to the money we proposed for education which enabled the Independent group to vote with us and set the budget and tax so smoothly.  It is a triumph for common sense!”

19th February 2004