The Lib Dem/Labour run Powys County Council have agreed to increase Council Tax this year by 8.9%. This is on the back of last year’s rise of 7.5%.
Commenting on the increase, James Evans MS said:
“The Lib Dems have broken their election promises year on year, raising Council Tax 7.5% last year and now 8.9% this year! This has taken the Band D in Powys over £2,000 for the first time ever and leaves many Powys residents wondering where they will find this extra money from. The increase in Powys is higher than the average increases across other areas of Wales.
“Many Powys residents ask me why they have to pay more and more yet get less and less services in return. In the past few years we have seen the removal of local recycling facilities, our road network worsening with potholes in the potholes, with gullies and ditches not cleaned as often, whilst taking more and more money off residents through increased car parking charges, soon to be introduced charges for recycling DIY waste, Council tax premiums for second homes that are genuine holiday businesses – the list goes on”.
“As a rural, sparsely populated area, Powys County Council have been underfunded by the funding formula for decades now, but that means that it is all the more important that they spend every penny wisely. Back in the Autumn, I raised the issue of the increasing number of Powys Officers on salaries over £70,000. This Lib Dem/Labour run administration must ensure money is spent effectively and that no more services are withdrawn”.
“The Lib Dem/Labour proposals for a ‘Sustainable Powys’, concentrating services in just the 5 ‘core’ towns, will lead to less services in the non-core towns. We are still none the wiser about their plans for the County Farm estate, their Leisure Review”.
“The Lib Dem/Labour run Powys County Council have released strategy after strategy but with very little action or results. Maybe they should have a more realistic new slogan that says ‘over-promised and under-delivered’!”
