Labour calls for 137 pound pa council tax hike

 Labour calls for £137pa council tax hike

Gloucestershire Labour MPs and councillors have attacked a flagship efficiency scheme, which aims to save council tax payers £30m pa.  Gloucestershire County Council's Building Our Future (BOF) programme aims to change the way that the council works, without cutting frontline services.  The programme aims to save £10m in its first year, £20m in its second, before reaching a stable level of £30m pa in efficiency savings.  Scrapping the scheme would add £136.98pa to the average Band D council tax bill in Gloucestershire – a catastrophic burden during the recession.

Cllr Barry Dare, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, commented:

“It may have escaped Parmjit Dhanda and David Drew's notice, but we are in the grip of a very serious recession.  People in Gloucestershire simply can’t afford to pay £137 every year extra on their council tax, just to support inefficient working practices at Shire Hall!  This shows just how dangerously out of touch Labour is.” 

Cllr Ray Theodoulou, Cabinet Member for Resources, commented:

“Under the Conservatives, Gloucestershire has had the lowest council tax increases of any County  Council.  We've done that without cutting services because we made the council work more efficiently.  Labour's plan to scrap the Building our Future Scheme without any other plans to make savings would mean massive council tax hikes in future.”