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LIB. DEM. GROUP LEADER HAILS 'COMMON SENSE BUDGET FOR DIFFICULT TIMES' - BUT MONEY MUST STILL BE FOUND FOR WYESIDE ARTS CENTRE
February 11, 2009 3:12 PM
The Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrat Group and vice-Chair of the
Council's ruling Board, Cllr. Leslie Davies, has hailed the decision
of the Council to approve a Council Tax rise for 2009/10 of just 2.99%
as a "victory for common-sense in a very difficult time for the people
of Powys".
Following a long and at times heated debate the full Council voted
down a proposal by the Council's largest group, the Powys Independent
Alliance, whose Leader is the Board Chairman, for a 3.99% increase.
Instead, a combination of all the other groups endorsed the Welsh
Liberal Democrat proposal to support the Board's recommendation for a
2.99% increase, based on finding savings from staff costs by
imposing a moratorium on recruitment for non-essential staff posts, a
readjustment of next year's costs inflation figure and delaying the
upgrading of the Council's IT equipment.
As a result of making the savings the Council will be able to provide
up to £400,000 to complement the Welsh Assembly Government's mortgage
assistance scheme for Powys residents suffering from the effects of
the economic downturn, investment in LED technology to allow the
switching back on of more streetlights that were turned off, and
extra money for street and public toilet cleansing and Powys's leisure
centres.
Commenting on the Council's decision, Cllr. Davies said:
" It was essential that we set a Council Tax increase as low as
possible, to help reduce the burden on Powys's hard-pressed residents
in these difficult times. But to have reduced the increase further
would have been irresponsible and would place essential services to
the most vulnerable in our communities in great danger, something we
are just not prepared to do."
" However, this budget decision does leave funding gaps for specific
items that will have to be filled by the time we start the next
financial year in April. The most pressing of these is to find extra
funding for the Wyeside Arts Centre in Bulth Wells, which all the
Council groups agree needs an injection of money to ensure its
survival and allow its recovery plan to continue. I shall be calling
for a special meeting of the Council's Board to discuss this issue at
the earliest opportunity."
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