At last week's City of York Council Budget meeting, Cllr Paul Doughty delivered the following speech as the Conservative Group's response to the Lib Dem - Green budget which will mean the council tax for a Band D household has risen by nearly £300 since 2019:
"Based on the average band ‘D’ property band used in examples by the authority, under the LibDems in York, council tax is now up by 17%, close to £300 a year more for every single household, more for residents in higher bands. This in just 4 short years and despite a broad worsening of services provided by them.
The Cost of Living means the council needs to be much better at controlling its wasteful spend. This doesn’t have to mean cutting everything, it means using resources more wisely and identifying the savings which can be done without downside – not a relentless raid on the pockets of the citizens of York for the largest possible council tax increase. Instead the LibDem-led Council continues to rack up debt for future generations. They only ever speak of ‘slashed’ inward funding but what they never seem to acknowledge is the vast unprecedented sums paid into the City by Government for issues such as Covid support – to support business and residents, investment into infrastructure, multi-millions in transport and highways investment, the new fleet of clean electric buses for example, targeted investment into homelessness and rough sleeping, the list is endless. What we do see however are constant CYC Press Releases, usually accompanied by a smiley photo of a LibDem Executive member claiming success for something or other that has been paid for by the taxpayer with funding from Central Government.
Interestingly, I did ask Finance officers to provide a list of investments and totals the Conservative Government have paid into York over the past four years as it is way above anything ever seen by previous Governments. I was told they couldn’t immediately think of a way to give me such a list of inward investment received from Government into York. Just incredible! I wish I’d made note of every Press Release as the sums will certainly be mindblowing.
We didn’t waste Officer time this year on a hypothetical budget amendment that like previous years would have been scourned and rejected with faux outrage by LibDems and other opposing Councillors for suggesting they have contributed to the burden on residents by hiking their own Councillor pay massively just after the last local elections and again recently at a time when our residents finances are stretched. Nor have the LibDems taken up most of our previous sensible budget amendment suggestions. Road and pavement surfaces are deteriorating badly and after more than two years, there are still no street benches on St Sampson’s Square even though they blew £130K given to ‘Make it York’ for rudimentary DIY store picnic tables. Nor is maintenance something this council puts much store in because it’s not sexy and doesn’t give them photo opportunities to be seen with something they can call ‘innovative’ when ordinary folk just want some common sense.
If residents choose a Conservative Council in 10 weeks time, we will immediately commence a full review of spending and focus on efficiencies and our residents priorities. On the doorstep, they have been telling us they want our road surfaces fixing which in York have deteriorated way beyond ever seen previously and a timely and efficient refuse and recycling service. Not the gimmicky vanity or virtue-signalling projects seen from the LibDems. Nor do they want the LibDem increased cost of politics with Councillors feathering their own pockets with the massive hikes in pay, bloated Executive and Committee positions and increased committees to give their own Councillors extra allowances.
I hope residents see through the LibDems come the local elections in May!”