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by Lib Dem team on 1 March, 2011
This is a report that went to Stockport Council’s Executive last November, detailing how the council was aiming to save over £16 million in the year 2011/12.
It’s (mostly) in plain English, so if you want to know how the money’s been found, please take a look.
The opposition Labour and Conservative groups did, of course, have this document from when it was first out. We’ve known of the need to make savings of around this scale since November 2009, and here are all the details. That means that, in addition to having 15 months to come up with their own proposals for savings, Labour and the Conservatives had three months when they knew pretty much what ours were and could suggest changes.
Needless to say, neither party did so. Neither party engaged in the discussions about how to make the savings (they were invited) and neither party proposed any amendments or an alternative budget. The Conservatives abstained on the budget, Labour voted against.
(Link temporarily disabled – should be back up later, but the URL it goes to is www.scribd.com/doc/49777161/Stockport-details-of-savings-2011-12 )
2 Comments
There has been some relief for the 2011/12 tax year in Stockport achieving a flat Council Tax but I was disappointed to see a projected increase of 2.5% for 2012/13 (table at end of report).
I urge the ruling Stockport Lib Dems to have a further year of zero increase – peoples budgets are stressed to say the least and the last thing we need is any further increases in Council Tax.
The Council will have to make a decision next year: freezing Council Tax again will mean saving an extra £3 million or so on top of the further £16 million we’ll need to save in 2012/13 (and that’s on top of the £16 million we’re saving in this coming year).
Whether the best thing for the people of Stockport is to freeze council tax or to find an additional £3 million in savings may depend on where those savings can be found.