The Conservative controlled Ribble Valley Council, Finance and Policy Committee, today voted for a budget for next year 2011-12, with a zero increase in the council tax, making savings without any compulsory job losses or reductions in frontline services.
Council leader Councillor Michael Ranson stated '' Like all other local authorities, Ribble Valley Borough Council has seen a large reduction in financial support from the Government, but this reduction was inevitable and we have been preparing for it for some time.''
Councillor Ken Hind senior vice chairman of Ribble Valley Conservatives stated '' The council has not reduced the grant fund available for allocation to local organisations and charities which includes the Citizen's Advice Bureau. Grants such as disabled facility grants will be maintained at their present levels.
''Over half of the funds spent by the council comes from central government as grant and business rates. By agreeing to freeze the council tax , the government has rewarded the council by adding 2'5% to the council's grant which will help hard pressed families in difficult economic circumstances.
'' By reorganising of the management structure, reducing departments from 4 to 3 , the council has avoided job losses and any need for compulsory redundancies. Prudent management in the past has enabled the council to use some of its reserves to maintain services in these times of economic austerity .
''By maintaining it's dedicated and hardworking staff , the front line services provided to the people of Ribble Valley will not be reduced which includes refuse collection, planning, building inspectorate, environmental health , housing advice , economic development , recreational services like the swimming pool and children's play areas .
'' The result will be that the council's share of the council tax on a Band D property will remain at £140.69, the lowest in Lancashire.
'' It must not be forgotten that this need to reduce budgets has been forced upon government and local government by the debt crisis created by the economic mismanagement of the previous Labour government in overspending overborrowing and failing to pay debt when the economy was booming . They failed to adequately regulate the banks all of which has left every man woman and child in the country owing over £60,000 per head . We have had to call a halt to credit card government .
'' No elected representative wants to reduce the spending power and services offered to the public. When we are forced to do so as at present, it is done with a heavy heart, knowing that there is no alternative other than economic meltdown, as the OECD have pointed out .