Lib Dem County Budget Proposals - "A balance between services and council tax"

1.27.00pm GMT Mon 8th Feb 2010

In their amendments to the Cabinet budget to be presented to Council tomorrow, the Liberal Democrat opposition have struck a balance between additional spending on frontline services and reducing the increase in Council Tax.

For a 2.5% rise in Council Tax, less than the Cabinet, the Liberal Democrats propose spending an additional £680,000 a year on children, young people and families, an additional £840,000 a year on vulnerable and elderly adults and over £1.5m on road and pavement repairs. This includes expanding children's centres and adult day centres, employing extra youth workers, expanding respite care for both children and adults who need it, and spending £1m in the first year on urgent road and pavement maintenance needed after the recent bad weather. Money is also put into environmental schemes, public transport information, allowing pensioners to use their free bus passes on community transport where they currently cannot, preventing the rise in residents' parking charges in Oxford and postponing the changes in fire cover that would see the loss of full-time firefighters in Abingdon and Didcot.

This is paid for by reducing backroom office functions, sharing some senior management posts and by reintroducing evening and Sunday parking charges for visitors in Oxford City centre.

Cllr Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Opposition, said: "These amendments offer a real alternative budget, one that will make a difference to the people of Oxfordshire. It won't be noticed if one piece of paper is not passed from one desk to another in the policy unit, but if an older person does not receive her home help, for example, then that could be a matter of life and death. I hope that we will have the support of Council."

Related Links:

Report to Council on Lib Dem budget amendments.

Cllr Zoe Patrick's speech to Council, proposing the Lib Dem budget amendments.

Other speeches on the budget.