Attempt to add cash to county budget beaten
Suffolk County Council has frozen its council tax for a third year in spite of protest from opposition parties.
Opposition councillors and two rebel Conservatives backed a Liberal Democrat amendment at the council meeting last Friday to get £1.7 million returned to the budget from reserves, but were defeated. The council says the budget protects frontline services while saving £24.9 million.
Jane Storey, cabinet member for finance, said: “Tough decisions have had to be made to address the speed at which funding has been withdrawn from the county council.”
Andrew Cann, Lib Dem finance spokesman, said: “We were in the top 30 per cent [for education], now we’re almost bottom after seven years. This wasn’t going to raise tax, we were taking money out of reserves.”
Labour leader Sandy Martin echoed argued: “There is a time to build up reserves and there is a time for dealing with vital issues and a vital issue at the moment is advice for schools.”
Mark Eriera, Green Party and independent group leader, said: “It’s like your wages being frozen year on year, It means you can buy less and less as everything you pay for goes up.”
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Weather for Bury St Edmunds
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
