RECESSION-HIT residents in the Express area face a 2.4 per cent council tax hike after a cheaper alternative was rejected.
The leader of Labour-led Wakefield Council, Coun Peter Box, said the budget was challenging but the increase would provide additional investment for priority services and reduce inequalities in the district's most deprived neighbourhoods.
An alter
native budget put forward by the Conservatives at Monday's full council meeting at County Hall, Wakefield – which would have seen a lower increase of 1.95 per cent – was rejected 37 to 23.
The majority of local councillors, including local independents Harold Mills, Wilf Benson and Ian Womersley, voted in favour of the Labour proposals.
The Conservatives would have made savings by cutting the cash spent on Coun Box's office and 'chauffeur-driven' car, scrapping The Citizen newspaper, ending casework support for councillors and closing Castleford swimming pool.
The council tax rise will mean an increase of 37p a week for band A properties and 50p a week for band D houses.
Coun Mills said: "I have waited 20 years to listen to a Conservative budget in these council chambers and, after looking at some of it, I would like to ask Coun Mark Crowther and the opposition how they plan to work some of these cuts."
Coun Womersley said: "We are all very busy and work very hard on behalf of our constituents and we do need members support as they can do jobs we cannot do. I cannot personally support the budget put forward by the Conservatives."
The leader of Wakefield Conservatives, Coun Crowther, was cut short from finishing his proposals after Mayor of Wakefield Coun Heather Hudson said he had gone over the five-minute allotted time and had not asked for more time in advance.
Coun Crowther said: "The Conservative group budget provides high quality, first class services at low cost to the people of the district. I didn't get the chance to give my full speech, which just goes to show the kind of democracy that exists in this council."
Coun Box said: "I can give our residents an assurance we'll continue to focus on the things that matter to them and their families. An increase of 2.4 per cent gives a robust balanced budget while providing for additional investment of £2.5m in priority services.
"We know in the current economic climate any increase is difficult – but this proposal means Wakefield will still have one of the lowest council taxes in the country."
