Councillors May Force Rethink on Proposed 5.95% Council Tax Rise in Monmouthshire

COUNCILLORS could force a rethink on a draft budget that includes a potential 5.95 per cent council tax rise and a hike in parking charges. 
The proposed budget was only set out last week with the ruling Labour and Green Party putting forward proposals for spending £230 million during the 2026/27 financial year while still having to find almost £1m  in cuts or savings to be in balance, meaning outgoings are matched by income, which is a legal requirement. 
The council has said the draft budget, due to be agreed and put out for consultation when the Labour and Green Party cabinet meets on Wednesday evening, promises investments in gulley cleaning and street sweeping, schools, social care, library books and materials and will support the Citizens Advice service.   
It has also said existing libraries, leisure centres and council hubs and the frequency of waste collections will be maintained throughout the new financial year.   
But with the council facing additional costs of £16.8m it needs to raise council tax as well as make savings or cuts totalling just over £2.1m. However only £1.25m have been identified so far leaving 0.97m to balance the budget. 
A public consultation will ask the public for their views on the proposed council tax rise, how savings can be achieved and spending priorities. 
A deadline of February 18 has been set for alternative proposals so they can be assessed, for their long term and equalities impact, before a final proposal is considered by the cabinet on March 4 and put to the full council for approval the following day. 
However Conservative opposition leader Richard John wants the cabinet to go back to the drawing board and rethink its spending plans and is putting a motion before the Thursday, January 22 full council meeting requiring it to do just that. 
The Mitchell Troy and Trellech councillor will ask counillors to agree the draft budget “fails to equip the council to meet the expectations of Monmouthshire taxpayers” and call on the cabinet to “revise the budget and explain how the £1million budget shortfall will be bridged”. 
Labour holds just 20 of the 46 council seats and is often dependent on the support of one independent who sits in a group with the single Green Party councillor, who is a member of the Labour led cabinet, as well as the casting vote of the council chairman, Labour’s Peter Strong when votes are tied. 
The Conservatives have 19 members while there are four in the Independent Group and one Independent Socialist councillor. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​