Council Tax to Rise By 4.4% -- Lib Dems propose smaller increase and more services

12.00.00am GMT Sat 11th Mar 2006

Nottingham City Council is to increase its Council Tax by 4.4%. The Liberal Democrats opposed this rise and put forward an alternative of only 3.5%.

Cllr Gary Long, leader of the Liberal Democrats on the Council, said "There is no need for an increase this high. The Labour Group are going to be spending money on giving (flower) bulbs away to residents and festivals launching the new Old Market Square. I am not against festivals but here are other, better ways to spend this money."

The Liberal Democrat amendment proposed spending more money on: resurfacing pavements (20% more than currently planned), trimming trees every 4 years instead of every 6, better help for the elderly and disabled to live at home, increasing help to improve parenting skills for those struggling with difficult children, tackling the route cause of some problems before they get worse and everyone around has to suffer.

Gary said "There needs to be a good reason for an above inflation increase as those just above the benefits line suffer most. Some of our basic services are strangled for cash and we clearly need to spend more. But, some of the extra spending suggested by Labour is just not justified. We know that, in Nottingham, a high level of spending is not matched by high quality services. The Council needs to get the basics right, and at a sensible cost, before spending money on 'extras'."