* * * News for 16th January 2003 * * *
All of Medway: 16th January 2003
Labour propose Council Tax rise of 38%
Labour's finance man endorses proposals for 38% Council Tax rise.
Labour's chairman of the Support Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Glyn Griffiths, tonight accepted and endorsed proposals that would result in a Council tax increase of over a third.
During this evening's meeting of the committee, attended by several of Medway's Head Teachers, he also stated several times his belief that the Government settlement for education was a very good one—this despite its being one of the very lowest awards in the country and leaving schools short of funds to the tune of £120 per pupil this coming year.
Partly to make up the severe deficit caused by the extremely disappointing education settlement, and (as in previous years) a range of additional financial pressures, the meeting considered measures that, if approved, would require a Council Tax rise of 32%: this figure was declared at the meeting. Later in the meeting an additional item was approved that would add a further 6% to the coming year's Council Tax.
All these proposals were agreed by combined Labour and Liberal Democrat votes, and—with Cllr Griffiths' blessing—will be passed to the Cabinet as the next stage in the budget-setting process. After this, the final budget proposals will be put to the full Council on 19th February 2003.