An inflation busting tax rise has been recommend for hard pressed Carmarthenshire households by Plaid Cymru Councillors.
As part of their Council budget consultation for the upcoming year, the Plaid Cymru-led administration is seeking to increase Council tax by almost £60 a year hitting families that are already suffering as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
During the recent Executive Board discussions on the budget, the Plaid Cymru Council Leader reduced the proposed increase from 4.89% to 4.48%, yet the Opposition Leader referred to this action as “just playing lip service” and “a slap in the face” for local residents.
The proposed gross expenditure on the capital programme for 2021/22 is £127.1m with the projected funding being £63.854m from the county council’s own resources through the use of borrowing, capital receipts, reserves and general capital grant. Carmarthenshire Labour Leader is calling on the Plaid Cymru Executive Board to utilise the Council’s reserves and pushing back some of the “nice to have” capital projects a year to support local residents.
Recent figures have shown that the Welsh Labour Government have provided in excess of £18 million to support Carmarthenshire Council with related costs to tackling Coronavirus and loss of income during the pandemic.
Cllr Rob James, Carmarthenshire Labour Leader stated “Hitting hard pressed families during a pandemic with an inflation busting tax rise is a terrible decision by Plaid Cymru Councillors.
“We already know that the Welsh Labour Government has provided this Council with more than £18 million, covering 96% of all Covid-related costs, and that the Council has saved money with the long closure of Council services.
“This is a once in a century event and we should be making every effort to actually supporting our residents. We need to be utilising the millions of Council reserves, esp capital reserve funding, as well as pushing back our non-essential and nice to have projects back a year to support Carmarthenshire households. Simply reducing the tax increase by a meagre half a percent today is a slap in the face for residents and merely paying lip service to the concerns of residents.
“We will be campaigning with every fibre of our being to get this disgraceful inflation busting tax rise proposed by Plaid Cymru Councillors thrown out.”
I welcome this additional funding from the Welsh Labour Government that builds upon the support already provided to Carmarthenshire businesses and direct support to our communities.
“The level of support that has been provided during the pandemic has been unprecedented.
“This has been an extremely difficult period for our communities and every effort is going in to ensuring that people remain safe and that families are supported. As the County Council debate next years budget in the coming weeks, we must look internally and ask whether the Council can be doing more to support local residents.
“Personally, I believe we should be doing more. Raising town centre car parking charges during a pandemic, where local businesses are struggling, is just one example of this Plaid Cymru Council’s lack of empathy for local communities. We must ensure no stone is left unturned when identifying measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.”
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