 But Labour hits everyone with 1% Freedom Pass surcharge
Bexley’s Conservative Council has announced that under its budget plans for 2010/11 it does not need to increase its share of Council Tax at all this year, the first time the Bexley share of the tax has ever been frozen in Bexley.
The announcement follows three years of budgets that have eliminated wasteful spending and kept any rises in Council Tax to under the rate of inflation – exactly as promised in the 2006 Conservative election manifesto.
This compares with an overall rise of 40% under the Labour Party between 2002 and 2006.
This is to be matched by the Conservative Mayor of London also announcing no increase in his share of the Council Tax.
The only increase residents will see is being made by the Labour Government to fund its decision to slash their funding of London’s Freedom Pass by 49%, requiring Bexley residents to pay over an additional one million pounds to the Department for Transport.
Commenting, Leader of Bexley’s Conservative Council, Cllr. Teresa O’Neill, said:
“As we promised, we have worked hard to end the era of massive Council Tax rises we had under Labour. By bringing Council spending under control and restricting any rises to lower than the rate of inflation for the last three years, I am very pleased that this year we do not need to increase our share of the Council Tax at all.
It is very disappointing that the Labour Government – with the full support of Bexley’s Labour Party – is cutting £30m from London’s Freedom Pass, meaning Bexley residents need to pay over an additional and unexpected one million pounds.”
Cllr. Simon Windle, Deputy Leader of Bexley Council, added:
“With Boris Johnson announcing a freeze in his share of the Council Tax for this year, Bexley residents will see no increase in their bills by the Conservative Council and Conservative Mayor. The only increase we will all face though is the one imposed at the eleventh hour by the Labour Government breaking their own three-year commitment previously made to London Boroughs.”
Bexley’s Cabinet will formally recommend its Budget and freeze in Bexley Council’s share of the Council Tax at a public meeting on Monday 22nd February and the plans will be decided by all Members of the Council on Wednesday 4th March.
Notes
The 2006 local election manifesto issued by Bexley Conservatives pledged to keep any increases in Council Tax to below the rate of inflation. That pledge has been met every year. Council Tax was increased by 40% between 2002 and 2006 by the then Labour Council and Labour Mayor of London, including by 17.5% in 2003 alone.
The Government announced on 1st February it is going to take £30m away from London’s Freedom Pass and distribute it to other parts of the country, to make up a funding gap the Government themselves created.
On taking office in 2006, Bexley Conservative Cabinet scrapped the £100,000 a year budget used to provide the Labour Cabinet with biscuits, cut Members allowances by £50,000 a year and ended the plan to spend £40,000 to see if it was possible to build a walkway over the trees at historic Lesnes Abbey.
| 
