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Darlington Borough Council - Budget Setting 2009/10
Date: 09/01/2009
FIRST RESPONSE BY THE CONSERVATIVE GROUP 8th January 2009
While the initial reading of the Labour group’s budget proposals would
seem to indicate recognition of the economic actions necessary in these
difficult times, it is clear upon examination they are simply fiddling
while Rome burns.
Fiddling is an appropriate definition when some of the proposals such
as closing the South Park aviary and also the Mayors Charity shop are
considered.
To provide council services for this year ending March 2009 it is forecast the cost will be £ 134.9 million.
The Labour cabinet intend to spend next year ending March 2010 £140.3 million an increase of £5.4 million or 4.0% .
They intend to fund this additional expenditure of £5.4 million by
increasing council tax by £1.4 million being more efficient making
further savings of 2.4million and topping the whole thing off using tax
payers reserves of £1.6 million.
The tax payers reserves have been plundered annually and the pot is now dry ,there are no more unrestricted reserves.
It may well be asked why such efficiencies were not already in place-
efficiencies the Conservative group called for in when setting budgets
this time last year.
Most organisations and households are tightening their belts and at
best hoping to manage budgets next year with no increase in income or
expenditure so why is the Labour Council continuing its ten years of
unbridled ever increasing expenditure instead of doing the same.
The answer is simple their socialist dogma overrides any concerns for
the Town or the economic hardship facing our residents particularly
those on fixed incomes.
For the last 18 months they ignored financial warnings, carried on with
high levels of spending and borrowing knowing full well this was
building a debt for future generations.
And all this to fund badly thought out failing schemes.
They still fail to recognise the realities of today’s economics and
Darlington taxpayers can quite rightly ask are these the right people
to manage our money.
Cllr Charles Johnson JP
Conservative spokesman Resources
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