'Lower taxes not war chest' says Lib Dems

4.00.00pm GMT Mon 20th Feb 2006

At tonight's meeting of Guildford Borough Council, Liberal Democrat councillors will propose a budget for lower council tax increases and improved services, paid for by slashing the Conservatives' £300,000 'war chest' for the 2007 borough elections. Under the Lib Dem budget, the borough share of the council tax bill would rise below the rate of inflation, by just 1.85%, instead of the 2.48% proposed by the Conservative administration.

Cllr Vivienne Johnson, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on resources, said "It is a disgrace for the Tories to expect council tax payers to pay more this year so that they can announce lower tax in election year 2007. By slashing the Tory war chest, we could improve services now, including committing to borough-wide kerbside collection of plastic, cleaner streets, tackling the parking problems in our town, and improving public safety by enhancing CCTV."

The Liberal Democrat budget proposals include:

• Reducing council tax increase to 1.85%, instead of Conservative proposal of 2.48%

• Deleting the £300,000 'Invest To Save' Reserve, widely seen as a 'war chest' to enable lower tax rises in 2007, the year of the borough elections

• Commence borough-wide roll-out of kerbside collection of plastic for recycling in March 2007, a year after the start of the current trial scheme

• An extra litter patrol response team

• Additional resources to tackle parking problems, including extra help for CPZ reviews and a feasibility study of car-share schemes

• Retain the 'Nippy Chipper' service

The Liberal Democrat budget also proposes changes to the financial plan for future years to bring in collection of kitchen waste for composting, fund community projects wanted by local residents, and build-up funds towards operation of the new Civic.