Falkirk Labour Group leader Councillor Anne Hannah has warned that things ain’t gonna get better for the communities of Falkirk after SNP and Tory councillors worked together, accepting an SNP government demanded council tax freeze that guarantees pain today, pain tomorrow. Road users, school pupils and staff, anyone wanting a place to play have little or nothing to cheer them up after years of cash cuts.
Labour’s amendment to the SNP administration’s motion was voted down. And Councillor Hannah listed important stages in the build up to that point.
- The SNP Scottish Government imposed a council tax freeze on local authorities.
- Democratically elected local councils responsible for setting a Council Tax were coerced into acceptance.
- Falkirk Council is in a serious financial situation - with a £64 million budget gap over the next five years.
- The Scottish Government are withholding £192m of funding if Councils choose to exercise their legal power to raise the council tax to fund and deliver local priorities.
- Falkirk Council SNP put forward a budget proposal for 2024/25 accepting the Council Tax freeze, making cuts, and using £21 million of Service Concessions to balance the budget.
Falkirk Labour Group proposed refusing to accept the SNP freeze, raising Council Tax by 7% plus 1% ring fenced for investment in public services. On a Band D property, the increase in council tax would be £2.10 per week, and would have given the Council £10 million to spend on:
- £4 million on roads.
- Flood defences, gully and drain clearing £2 million.
- Schools and school ICT £2.1 million.
- Other ICT improvements £0.5 million.
- Help for community centres to reduce running costs £250,000.
- Extra money for accessible playparks £250,000.
- £0.9 million to cover the Scottish Government cut to the capital budget and avoid cuts across the board to
all services.
The Tories and SNP voted against our proposal, so the coming year will see none of these improvements. The Scottish Government may free up the funds they have withheld, but finance officers predict that accepting the freeze will mean that the council tax rise in 2025/2026 will have to be at least 11%. No council tax rise for 2024/2025 means no investment in our communities, no reduction in the budget gap in future years, and higher council tax rises
Falkirk Labour Group will continue to fight to defend public services and local communities.