Council approves 3.7% Tax increase

Council finance spokesman Councillor Greg Couzens approved the budget at last night's council meeting.

Rochdale Council has agreed a Council Tax increase of 3.7%, the lowest for 11 years, but the increase has been slammed as illogical and unjustified by an opposition councillor.

The 3.7% increase was put forward by the Liberal Democrat Group as part of their budget proposals for setting out the main spending plans for the year ahead.

Finance portfolio holder Councillor Greg Couzens said: “I believe that this year’s budget represents a considerable achievement for the authority made possible through focus, prioritization and a sound service planning processes; all underpinned by excellent financial management. We proposed a council tax increase of 3.7%, the lowest for twelve years, and I believe that this represents a careful balance between investing in maintaining and improving services and affordability.

“In Conservative led Trafford they have been forced to increase council tax by 4.8%. In Labour led Salford they have been forced to make over 300 redundancies to council staff. The budget that was passed at council is a budget that doesn’t contain any cuts to services, has the lowest council tax increase for 12 years and offers real value for money for the residents of our Borough. It is a sensible budget. It’s a budget that prioritises services whilst at the same time prioritises our resident’s wallets."

But Labour Spokesperson for Regeneration and Employment Councillor Terry Linden has said that the Lib Dem councillors used their council majority to force through the increase and believes it to be 'illogical and unjustified.

"The liberal democrats at Rochdale Town hall have shown what they are really about. They have rejected any attempt by other councillors to work together for the good of the borough.

"They forced through using their block vote, an increase in council tax at 3.7%, taking money out of the pockets of hard working families and out of the local economy, when an alternative increase proposed by Labour of just 1.65% would have left local families with more money in their pockets to spend locally keeping the local economy going."

increase in the council tax and there refusal to allow investment in job creation across the borough.

The budget also contained just under £900,000 for spending on priority areas, including £250,000 for older people, £60,000 for improvements to gateways and corridors and £50,000 for gully repairs.

Additional revenue support will also provide for the new Heywood Sports, Leisure and Culture Village, additional cemetery provision and enable townships to increase their devolved funding.

Councillor Couzens said: “We know that we have a lot of work to do to make sure our services are delivering the best value for money but we have the drive, ideas and commitment to deliver that for the people of our Borough. For 25 years I have worked in Rochdale Town Centre and I have witnessed the slow decline of our town through a lack of vision, determination and passion. Last year’s budget was just the start in providing the vehicle for our borough’s long awaited regeneration and this year’s budget will help us to continue with that.”

Councillor Linden said that the council had refused to allow investment in job creation across the borough. "For the controlling Liberal Democrats to reject a massive investment in creating local employment at a time of unemployment rising, just shows they are not interested in working together for the good of the borough."