People in Knowsley will see their council tax rise by the maximum amount after the council’s budget for the coming year was agreed.
At a meeting of Knowsley’s full council at Huyton municipal buildings cabinet member for finance and resources Cllr Jayne Aston spoke of her “pleasure” at presenting the Labour Group budget.
Proposals included £7.5m of one-off spending, involving over £5m on “strategic acquisition” and nearly £2.4m set aside for climate change and environmental improvements as well as support for Knowsley residents.
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Nearly £5.6 million was left unallocated for “further consideration” once inflationary and pay pressures are clearer, with a £1.4m budget deficit to be met from council reserves.
Cllr Aston said the ruling Labour group had been left with “no choice” but to implement a full council tax increase of 5%, taking aim at the way the Conservative government formulates funding for local authorities.
The main opposition party, Knowsley’s Green group, put forward a proposal to add an extra £2.5m in spending from the unallocated funds, including money for additional pest control, highways and pavements repairs, a neighbourhood fund and increased spending on tackling the backlog in short break provision for children with disabilities.
Cllr Kai Taylor said while he was concerned at passing on council tax rises to local residents who were “past struggling” he was not proposing a freeze or reduction from the maximum amount. He said that the increased spending proposed would tackle some of the “so many important issues within the borough that residents want to see addressed.”
Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Carl Cashman said his group would not be supporting the Green amendment because it did not seek to reduce the maximum council tax rise.
Cllr Aston said the Labour group would not support it because it left too few unallocated resources, adding: “We would like to do more, of course we would but we live in extraordinary times.”
Cabinet members spoke of several aspects of the proposals, which included an extra £135k for care leavers, £42k for an additional housing officer to tackle issues with damp and mould, £300k for a borough of culture legacy programme, nearly £100k to tackle issues in the licensing department which have been affecting taxi drivers since a move to digital applications and £5m set aside for “strategic acquisitions and demolitions.”
In addition, nearly £800k was earmarked for cost of living support, £350k for sustainable food projects, £15k to extend early intervention capacity, £280k for a project support vulnerable women whose children are at risk of going into care, £55k for short breaks for children with disabilities, £100k for a new s strategic housing position and £250k towards the council’s stronger communities fund.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Ian Smith slammed the council tax increase and said the council was “selling off the family silver at the expense of council tax payers” warning that bad investments “could prove a disaster” for residents.
Referring to plans to demolish the current council buildings and create a new municipal village in Huyton he said: “Would residents prefer a council tax freeze or a new council headquarters in Huyton during this period of extreme difficulty?”
Cllr Taylor said the Green party would be supporting the budget and criticised the Liberal Democrat group for not putting forward their own alternative.
Cllr Aston also took aim at the Liberal democrats and the idea of freezing council tax. She said the Lib dems had: “”no thought, no ambition, no clue” and questioned what cuts they would accept if council tax had been frozen.
Council leader Cllr Graham Morgan said it was a “a well thought out planned and balanced budget” and spoke of the importance of partnerships with community groups in the borough.
Following a vote, the budget proposals were overwhelming approved with only the Liberal Democrats voting against.
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