Labour Leader calls for council tax reduction

Hopeful: Councillor Colin Lambert plans to propose a smaller council tax increase at tonights meeting

Labour Leader Councillor Colin Lambert will propose the lowest ever council tax increase at tonight’s Council Budget Meeting.

Disagreeing with the cabinet’s announcement of 3.7%, Councillor Lambert will present a budget which calls for the council tax increase to be kept at 1.65%, in the hope of swaying the opinion of the Lib Dems.

As previously reported by Rochdale Online, the council tax increase is above the national average of 3%, and works out at 30 times inflation.

The Treasury has claimed inflation will fall to -2% later this year.

Councillor Lambert said: “I believe that by limiting the council tax rise to 1.65% we are keeping money in the pockets of those hard working families who have earned it.

“By re-prioritising the council spending programme to concentrate on creating local employment opportunities, we are helping local businesses to survive these hard economic times.

“The more money left in peoples pockets give them more to spend locally in shops and with local traders so keeping our communities alive and people in jobs”.