Annual Budget Meeting - on March 7th Maidstone Borough Council

Following the Annual Budget Meeting on March 7th Maidstone Borough Council has agreed to increase the Council Tax by 2.99 per cent.

Fran Wilson Liberal Democrat Leader of the Council said: " Over recent years Government cuts to Local Authority Funding have been very deep and there is no longer any fat to trim. We like the majority of Councils of various political colours have had to weigh an increases in Council Tax against the loss of major public services and like the majority of Councils including Conservative controlled Kent County Council we have reluctantly had to increase Council Tax by more than we would have in other circumstances.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group Martin Cox added: "The alternative lower Council Tax increase proposed by the Conservatives was essentially unfunded and amounted to a short term fix that would actually make matters substantially worse in future years"

The Council also voted to accept a Liberal Democrat amendment to support increasing the spending on Environmental Enforcement, but deleting the Conservative's proposal to fund this from major cuts to the Communication's Department.
Fran Wilson said: We all support additional funding for Environmental Enforcement and dealing with fly tipping and other problems, but the Conservative proposal was ill-considered. Firstly it would almost certainly not have produced sufficient financial savings to fund the proposal and secondly it would have actually axed spending that supports the Enforcement process, thereby significantly negating any benefit gained"