Austerity budgets approved by city and county
Both the city and county councils passed their austerity budgets yesterday.
Leicestershire County Council voted to cut £74 million from its budget over the next four years, and cut 1,000 jobs.
The decision means that libraries and museums are likely to bear the brunt of cash cutbacks in the county.
Meanwhile Leicester City Council voted to cut £20 million from its budget over both of the next two years, leading to 600 jobs cuts.
Labour city councillors had pushed through last-minute changes to the budget proposals in their political group meeting on Monday evening – giving eight threatened care homes a two year reprieve – but decided against freezing their own allowances as part of the budget proposals.
Three community libraries in the city will now close, bus subsidies for youngsters in further education will be cut, city wardens will be reduced from 22 to 16, festive decorations will be scaled back, and a homeless hostel will close.
Council tax in the city will rise by 3.49 per cent from April, while county council tax payers will see their monthly bills frozen for the next 12 months.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "This is one of the most difficult budgets for decades.
"We don't want to make these cuts, but because of Government cuts we are being forced to do so."
The city's two opposition councillors had declined to put forward an alternative to the plans.
County council deputy leader Nick Rushton said: "This is a tough financial climate but we've put together a budget which is responsible, prudent, and which protects services which residents value the most."
7 Comments
by RuralOutBack
Thursday, February 23 2012, 7:38PM
“It is clearly the case that the Conservatives have frozen council tax and councillors allowances for the fourth year but Labour have increased council tax to pay for an increase in their allowances. I feel sorry for the hard pressed families in the City who are shelling out even more money to go straight into the pockets of the socialists.”
by DonHenson
Thursday, February 23 2012, 4:20PM
“Some austerity for councillors would not have gone amiss.
And note no mention of the 15% cut to the voluntary sector, as opposed to the council's own rather smaller percentage cut. That will mean even more jobs not part of the tally mentioned here.”
by babwinkle1
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:59PM
“The Conservative Group at charnwood BC took an allowance drop last year as part of their budget plans, nice to see the Labour councillors follow suite - NOT, even 10% would have been a guesture they get over 10k a year anyway”
by bhleic
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:20PM
“Council workers face a third year of pay freeze but these councillors think that they're too good for that. Utterly disgusting.”
by RedKeith
Thursday, February 23 2012, 12:35PM
“We have 56 Labour Councillors who don't deserve to be re-elected. The overwhelming anti Con-Dem vote in the 2011 City Council Election counted for nothing.”
by martin_le3
Thursday, February 23 2012, 11:27AM
“"but decided against freezing their own allowances as part of the budget proposals" - doesn't send a good message, does it? Freezing them would seem the very least they could have done - its not like they would even have been out of pocket or anything.”
by watsorj
Thursday, February 23 2012, 10:57AM
“Council tax in the city will rise by 3.49 per cent
Leicester City Council voted to cut £20 million from its budget over both of the next two years, leading to 600 jobs cuts.
but decided against freezing their own allowances as part of the budget proposals.
These Three statments say it all about the City council”