'Financial Mismanagement' leads to increase in Council Tax - but lowest for over a decade!
Rochdale Council Portfolio Holder for Finance - Councillor William Hobhouse has hailed the lowest Council Tax Rise for over a decade as a 'step in the right direction'. He has also criticised the former Labour / Conservative Coalition for 'financial mismanagement' that was 'one of the reasons for the proposed increase in Council Tax.' This was because they cut £1million from the budget of Adult Care without providing extra services to cover. This led to an overspend of £1million, the very figure that the previous administration cut - meaning that last year's budget was 'unsustainable and a fantasy' that the Liberal Democrat Administration are having to deal with.
Councillor William Hobhouse said, "All we hear from the Labour and Conservative Coalition is that they left a positive legacy for us, this is today exposed as a sham. To cut £1million from a service and then the service overspends by £1million shows financial incompetence and lack of planning. We knew that last year's budget was a last minute thing, written on the back of a fag packet but the reality is now hitting home. The Liberal Democrat Administration is working hard closely with Council Officers to correct past mistakes. Not only are we dealing with the unfortunate legacy left by the Coalition, but we are stabilising this Council's Tax. We are aiming to keep Council Tax as low as possible 3.9% is the target for the next 2 years - one of the lowest in Greater Manchester. At the same time for the first time ever we have given stability to the voluntary sector with a fairer funding settlement over 3 years, having listened to groups who play such a vital role in our Borough and are giving money to more voluntary groups than ever before.
The Council were recently criticised by the Audit Commission for not providing value for money in the Adult Care Sector, we have addressed that and have taken seriously the huge responsibility of providing the best value for money possible. The best services should be available at the lowest possible cost - that is our challenge and one we are meeting."