No council tax rise this year
Council tax and councillors' allowances have been frozen by Mole Valley District Council for the next financial year.
The council's budget for 2010/11 was formally approved at a full council meeting held at Pippbrook on Tuesday night.
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FREEZE: Mole Valley District Council will not be increasing its share of council tax for the next financial year
Introducing the item leader of the council Jean Pearson said that because of significant savings of more than £3 million over the last three years the council was not increasing its share of council tax.
She said: "We offer a zero per cent council tax raise to help all our residents who live in the district."
Chris Hunt (Con, Ashtead Village) seconded the motion adding: "We believe it is a budget for the people of Mole Valley. By freezing the council tax we are going hand-in-hand with people who are having a tough time out there."
The executive did come under fire from the opposition, however, over cuts to some of its services and increases in fees. This includes a £20,000 cut for grants for arts and leisure and £16,500 from the free rat and pest control service. Margaret Cooksey, the leader of the opposition, said: "We believe that when times are difficult, and it has been said that this recession is much worse than the one we suffered in the late-80s and early-90s, there is a responsibility to provide a feel-good factor if at all possible.
"The choices that the administration has been making have conspired to make the district look and feel as if we are in the depths of a depression."
But the administration pointed out that it would also be making significant investments this year.
These include £400,000 to redevelop the changing rooms at Brockham Big Field, £127,000 on maintenance at Dorking Halls and £300,000 on reducing the council's carbon footprint.
Councillors at the meeting also agreed to freeze their allowances for the next financial year.
But despite the fact Mole Valley's share of the tax bill will stay the same, earlier this month Surrey County Council raised tax by 2.5 per cent.
The county council takes 74 per cent of the bill meaning that an average Band D taxpayer will pay an extra £27.
Comments
by Mike Ogle, Brockham
Thursday, March 04 2010, 4:10PM
“Amazing how nice and considerate politicians, councillors etc. have suddenly become. MP's now think the voice of the people should be heard and that they should listen to our views. They are knocking on doors to enquire about our health and well-being. Local councils are now telling us that they have been so good over the past year that they are going to reward us mere peasants by not increasing the council tax and they have frozen their allowances for the forthcoming year! Highways departments up and down the country now admit that our roads have been neglected for many years! Next they will be saying that corruption in the corridors of power is a thing of the past! This is all too much, I need to lie down, but hang on a minute, there is an election looming...............says it all really!!”