Zero Council Tax Increase

11.00.00am GMT Mon 18th Jan 2010

Cllr Ron Tindall said "I am cautiously pleased to see the Conservatives at County Hall following the Liberal Democrat ambition on the need to produce a zero council tax increase. But from the scanty information available it appears they intend to do so by using council reserves of £19 million.

Liberal Democrats pledged before the 2009 election to achieve a zero council tax increase by seeking major cuts in management overheads, renegotiating contracts with suppliers to reflect the lower costs of operating during a financial downturn, making massive cuts in the council's swollen self-publicity budget, and introducing a freeze on using consultants.

By using up the County's reserves, the Conservatives are 'selling off the family silver' to look good in an election year, and at a time when their leader Mr. Cameron is promising savage public sector cuts in the first year if he becomes prime minister. Who can ever forget that inflation rocketed to 18% in 1980, a year after the last change to a Conservative Government.

The Liberal Democrat proposals were based on sound economic policies. The Conservatives' smoke and mirrors act will actually make it harder for us to face the crisis"

Cllr Ron Tindall is County Councillor for Hemel St Paul's division