Tory Budget Cynical, Unfair and Out of Touch (Swindon Liberal Democrats)

Swindon Liberal Democrats <info@swindonlibdems.org>

Tory Budget Cynical, Unfair and Out of Touch

February 25, 2009 9:52 AM

What is going on inside this building?

Lib Dems Propose: Lower Council Tax Increase, No Increases to Residents Parking, Save the Libraries, Park & Ride and Swindon Dance.

Swindon Borough Council's Conservative budget is cynical, unfair and out of touch, say the Lib Dems on the Council, proposing their alternative budget.

The Tory Budget:

• Would increase Council-tax by an above inflation 3.5%. In the current economic climate we are all tightening our belts, the Council should be setting a good example with a lower increase.

• Would mothball the Groundwell Park & Ride and axe local community libraries, like the Old Town Library.

• Would start to withdraw funding from the Swindon Dance, one of our best assets.

• Would double and treble some Residents Parking Permits, which is an unacceptable tax on the town centre.

The Lib Dem Alternative Budget:

• Would increase Council Tax by a more modest 2.9%, which is more appropriate and affordable in such tough times.

• Would retain all community libraries: now is the time to be strengthening communities, rather than ripping them apart.

• Would retain the Groundwell Park & Ride on a reduced service, focussed on the needs of users, aiming towards the service breaking even within three years.

• Would not cut funding from Swindon Dance.

• Would save by slashing Councillor Allowances by over £400,000

• Would save by instituting schemes of energy efficiency, and look for better energy deals

• Would save by making the changes to Swindon's library middle management suggested by one of the UK's leading library consultants

Cllr Stan Pajak said,

The budget:

"The Tory budget is a cynical election-year budget, they feel they can make unpopular decisions today and think everyone will have forgotten by next year."

Council Tax:

"Increasing Council Tax by 3.5% is disrespectful to the people of Swindon, some of whom have lost their jobs and most of whom are tightening their belts. The Lib Dems want to see a lower tax increase to show the Council is trying to tighten its belt too."

Groundwell Park and Ride:

"The Lib Dems want to keep the park and ride open. Mothballing the Park & Ride will increase congestion and damage the environment. The Tories have proven that when it gets tough, they are not the 'green' party of Swindon. The Lib Dems would keep the Park & Ride, saving money by it being unmanned, with fewer services in off-peak times; it's not green to have empty buses running through the town centre."

On Residents Parking:

"The Council figures on residents parking are wrong. They are trying to rush through an unjustifiable tax on the town centre to plug the holes in their budgets. The doubling of permit costs needs to be stopped, we need a review into how this happened."

On Libraries:

"One of the UK's leading library consultants has said £150,000 of savings can easily be made without affecting frontline services, whilst still keeping all the libraries open and actually improving the service. Closing the Old Town and other libraries needs to be taken off the table now, and the money made up by cutting the unnecessary costs the consultant highlighted."

At the Budget-setting Council Meeting on Monday 23rd February every Conservative Councillor rejected these proposals.