Herts County Council – Liberal Democrats Demand Additional Funds for Flooding, Buses and Home Start

Liberal Democrats yesterday proposed a raft of amendments to deal with key concerns of local residents about the way the County Council is being managed under the Conservatives.

Measures in the Liberal Democrat alternative budget included: an extra £1.4 million to reverse the cuts in bus services, £2 million to provide flood relief to homes and businesses and £395,000 to reverse the cuts in funding for Home Start.

These and other measures would be funded by using council tax collection fund surpluses and technical revenue releases.

Conservatives voted against the proposals and Labour refused to support them, preferring for unexplained reasons to sit on their hands.

Lib Dem budget spokesperson Paul Zukowskyj commented: ‘The Conservative administration has again left flood victims in the water without a paddle with water invading their homes. Rather than set a sensible budget with some provision to help residents, the Tories are happy to bump along the statutory minimum performance level, abandoning residents to yet more misery.’

Lib Dem Leader S​tep​hen Giles-Medhurst said: ‘It is clear the way central government is treating local authorities is a disgrace with cuts in their funding.
‘But equally Hertsfordshire, with its 4% increase in Council Tax and with additional income from new homes and council tax collection fund surplus of almost £6m, does not need to make the cuts in basic front line services as it has been doing for the past two years.’