Powys council suspends decision on council tax rise

The vote to suspend the meeting took place after a vote to freeze the Council Tax for next year was overturned.

Earlier an amended budget proposal put forward by the Labour council group, to use money from a reserve budget to fund a Council Tax freeze in next year’s budget was put forward for debate when Labour’s Councillor David Thomas pointed out that £3.4 million that is in a budget management reserve could be used.

He said that and expected transfer of £1.8 million to plug a gap in the Children’s Social Services finances from this reserve would not be needed and said freezing the Council Tax would help residents cope with the rising cost of living and energy bills.

This was supported by 34 votes to 31 and took over from the previous amendment put forward by Conservative finance portfolio holder Councillor Aled Davies and backed by Plaid Cymru group leader Councillor Elwyn Vaughan, to drop Council Tax from 3.9 per cent to 3.4 per cent.

Councillor Davies said: “The budget with a zero per cent council tax contains an unacceptable level of risk and it drives a hole through the budget that we were planning to deliver."

After a long recess when some councillors left the meeting there was a vote 31 for and 33 against freezing the council tax.

Councillor Davies said: “I suggest that we resume the meeting next week and in the meantime I will certainly reach across to the groups across the council so that we can come together and deliver a budget that is safe.”

A vote to suspend the meeting was then supported with the council agreeing to reconvene on March 3, to continue the debate.