Surrey Budget Day
Surrey County Council today gave the rubber stamp to the next financial year’s budget. I, along with the Lib Dems voted against the budget since it would lead to massive cuts to essential services despite yet another above inflation council tax rise. The Conservative dominate County Hall with 7 out of 10 of the councilors, so their budget was passed – but this budget of £680.4 million with a council tax rise of 2.5%, proposes cuts that are totally unacceptable. Below are some of the most worrying cuts planned:
- The closure of nursing, residential and children’s homes.
- A 40% cut to Surrey bus services including all school special buses.
- Cuts in the numbers of foster placements for vulnerable children.
- Little action to combat the threat of climate change.
- Big cuts to already poor road and winter maintenance.
- Increased charges on disabled people’s services.
- Even less maintenance to countryside rights of way.
- 11 fully qualified youth workers will lose their jobs, including the Youth Service Manager for Woking Borough.
Those cuts will be very painful for residents to bare, but cuts to services are completely unnecessary since Surrey County Council is incredibly top heavy and spends money like water on consultants, temps and agency workers. In less than a year, Surrey spent over £20 million on consultants, over £4 million on agency staff and £1.8 million on public relations. Anyone remember County Hall’s proposed move to Brewery Road Car Park in Woking? We all should, the bungled plan cost millions then got aborted - wasting everyone’s time and money. Does this sound like value for money to you? The local Conservative leadership today said, “value for money is the bedrock upon which this Council is run” - if someone things Surrey residents get value for money as the now, then that person clearly knows the value of nothing. Only until County Hall gets it’s act together, should residents - especially vulnerable residents, be punished through huge cuts to essential services for the mistakes made by those in power.
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