South Wales Evening Post – 24 February 2009
Swansea Council has agreed on a budget for next year.
During a heated meeting at the Civic Centre last night, councillors approved the £350million budget, which will see council tax rises of 4.45 per cent in the city.
The final level of council tax is yet to be set as the South Wales Police Authority has not agreed its precept.
However, last night the Lib Dem-led administration saw its spending plans approved.
Introducing the budget, Cabinet member for Finance, Stuart Rice, said the current economic gloom had played a part in the plans.
He said: "These are difficult and challenging times and I think everybody will be aware of that."
He added: "Our settlement from the Welsh Assembly Government was 2.9 per cent. What they received from central government was 4.8 per cent."
The budget proposed by Councillor Rice saw a council tax rise of 4.45 per cent.
He added: "This recommendation is about half of the average increase of Labour tax rises."
The budget comes after the council revealed it was facing a blackhole in its accounts of £14million.
However, at times the meeting turned into a tit for tat blame game, with Labour and the Lib Dems arguing over responsibility for the council's economic situation.
Labour leader David Phillips criticised the council's decisions since coming to power.
He said: "It was you who allowed the Civic Centre project to more than double, it was you who failed to control and deliver on the IT project, it was you who ripped up the city centre, bankrupting Swansea businesses in the process, for a bus that will serve few and is detested and derided by most.
"None of these are the results of outside forces, none of this is to do with the Welsh Assembly.
"It is all to do with you and your incompetent administration, stumbling from one self made disaster to another."
Council leader Chris Holley hit back, saying the Lib Dems had to "repair the mess that was left" by Labour when they came to power.
He said: "We didn't control what you did. That is the difference.
"You let this city fall apart. We are putting it back together."
Reader Comment
As a Liberal voter - perhaps no more - I am disgusted by this increase. We are living in a deflationary recession, something this country has never seen before, which may well become a deflationary depression.
Everyone is having to cut their prices, watch the pennies and live on less but not this arrogant Council! I am truly staggered by how poor many of the people I campaigned for have turned out to be. It seems Swansea is cursed with inept people in our Council no matter whether they are Labour or Liberal.
Bob, Sketty
commented on 24-Feb-2009 12:31
