The budget of Somerset County Council was approved on 20th February 2013. The Conservative administration were proud to present a budget that:
- freezes council tax for residents for the fourth consecutive year
- spends an extra £4.8 million in services for the vulnerable
- invests £38 million in new roads and schools in the County.
Unfortunately as there was a budget deficit of £20million owing to the government reducing the Council's grant, some savings needed to be made.
Leader of Somerset County Council John Osman said “No politician enters local government wishing to make savings, however our saving proposals were made after we were informed we had received massive cuts from central government. In anticipation we had mitigated the savings by changing the way the council operated to ensure it serves the real needs of the people of Somerset, now and in the years to come.”
At the Council meeting the Liberal Democrats presented an alternative budget, which has been described as “dangerous and irresponsible”.
The Lib Dem alternative budget proposed:
- cutting financial support to the most vulnerable children in Somerset by £6 million
- cutting the waste and recycling budget in the County by £7.5 million
- implementing £11.5 million of new fees, charges and stealth taxes on hard pressed Somerset residents
John Osman commented “If this budget was introduced now or in the future by the Lib Dems, the children in need in this county would undoubtedly suffer, there would be hundreds of job losses and a number of our recycling centers would be forced to close. All Somerset residents would be hit in the pocket by new Lib Dem fees, charges and stealth tax”.
The Conservative administration inherited a debt which costs £100,000 every day to service and the current administration, despite the government cuts, has not increased this debt and last December started the long process of paying it down. By the end of next month the first £60 million will have been paid back.
John Osman said “the need to service the debt takes money away from frontline services. I was surprised at the meeting when former Lib Dem Leader of the Council Jill Shortland said that she was proud that the debt had been incurred. My view is that leaving this level of debt is a terrible legacy to leave for our children to pay.”