COUNCIL TAX WOULD INCREASE BY AT LEAST 16.5% UNDER LABOUR

12.00.00am GMT Fri 6th Mar 2009

Liberal Democrats on Sheffield City Council have revealed that if the extra spending proposed by Labour had been agreed then Council Tax would have to rocket by at least 16.5% next financial year, an increase of £235 for a band D Council Tax payer.

Lib Dems have been keeping track of Labours spending commitments since Labour lost control of the Council in May. Extra spending includes £2.4m for older people's services, £20m for free public transport on a weekend and £1.1m to take part in the Government's swimming scheme.

In total Labour have committed to at lest an extra £31.2m annual spend plus another £40.3m of one off spending.

Cllr Simon Clement-Jones, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Finance and Customer Focused Services, said:

"After years of financial neglect and mismanagement, Labour's Town Hall bosses were booted out of power last May. And since then they have promised anything and everything in their desperate attempt to win back public support."

"But we have been keeping a record of all Labour's extra spending commitments and we can reveal that, if we had agreed to Labour's plans, we would see Council Tax increase by a massive 16.5%. Clearly Labour are out of touch if they believe local people can afford this in the present economic climate."

The revelation comes in the week that Sheffield's Council Tax increase will be set. The controlling Lib Dem Group are planning to propose the lowest ever Council Tax increase of 2% at the Budget Council meeting on Friday (6th March). Cllr Clement-Jones added: -

"At a time when local people are feeling the pinch I believe that we should be doing all we can to keep Council tax as low as possible. That's why, in contrast to Labour, the Lib Dems will be proposing the lowest ever Council Tax increase for Sheffield."