Telford & Wrekin Council backs 3.2% tax hike
Council tax will rise by 3.2 per cent after Telford & Wrekin Council gave the final stamp of approval to its budget.
The council held a four-week public consultation after announcing it needed to make £30 million of cuts over the next two years.
During a full council meeting at Telford's Oakengates Theatre last night, an alternative budget put forward by the Conservative group was thrown out.
The Labour-run council budget was accepted with 28 councillors voting in favour, 21 against and three abstentions.
Moving the budget, finance chief and Labour Councillor Lee Carter said the Government was "waging war" against local government and the losers were the most vulnerable in society.
He said the strategy taken with the budget had been based on "compassion" and "fairness".
He also stressed it had been important to work with town and parish councils, as well as voluntary organisations.
But Councillor Adrian Lawrence, introducing the alternative budget, claimed the council should reduce its debt and dispose of the solar farm and the council's Nuplace firm.
The Tory's budget also opposed raising council tax above two per cent.
When budget proposals were announced earlier this year, residents were warned that libraries, markets, youth clubs, community centres and children's centres all faced the axe. Arrangements have since been unveiled to keep five of the libraries – including Stirchley, Madeley, Dawley, Hadley and Newport – open. No plans have yet been announced for Donnington Library.
