As Finance Spokesman, I am happy to explain how the 2014 Conservative manifesto for Merton will be funded (‘How will money be raised?’, 17 April 2014).
Your Lib Dem correspondent talks about the record of the previous Conservative administration. What he fails to mention is that the Conservatives CUT council tax back in 2010 – the 1st time this had been done in Merton since council tax was first introduced.
Likewise Boris Johnson has reduced the Mayor’s share of council tax by cutting waste and inefficiency even though many people said it couldn’t be done. As Conservatives, we know we can achieve better services and lower tax here in Merton and here’s how.
Throughout the last 4 years, Labour has shown they are unable to budget. They have continually cut council services, not costs, whilst at the same time overcharging residents for the services they do provide by an average of £12.5 million every year. That’s millions of pounds of residents’ money sitting in a bank account during tough financial times. In fact, in just 4 years, Labour have swelled the council’s bank balance by over 70% from £62 million to £107 million. This isn’t prudence; it’s incompetence.
Of course there is another way. If Labour hadn’t overcharged residents, council tax bills in Merton could have been cut by 10% since 2010 and this would still have provided over £4million to protect the local services that they have cut, such as sweeping streets immediately after the rubbish is collected
If elected on 22nd May, Merton Conservatives will end Labour’s annual £12.5million overcharge. This will allow us to cut residents’ council tax by 10% (saving £110 on the average bill) whilst also improving the services they receive. We will drive out waste and inefficiency in the council, review all contracts to deliver better value for money, invest in technology and scrap bureaucracy in order to deliver a lean and efficient council for the long term.
And if in any doubt, just look at the fully-costed Conservative Alternative Budget from March 2014, which was agreed by the council’s chief finance officer. It clearly shows how, through better financial management, we would fund a new town centre police unit and a strengthened council enforcement team as well as proposing a council tax reduction.
It’s just a shame the Lib Dems didn’t support it.
Cllr Suzanne Grocott
Conservative Finance Spokesman
- Send your letters to: letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk
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