On March 3, the councillors approved a council tax increase to meet rising service demands, generating an estimated £7 million. Despite this, opposition leaders criticized the Labour administration for insufficient actions on homelessness, petty crime, and climate issues. The budget allocates substantial sums to vital services like adult social care and housing, yet opposition calls for better asset utilization and more proactive measures in community safety reflect an ongoing debate over municipal priorities. This is the fourth consecutive year the opposition has suggested monetizing council property assets, which has been dismissed by Labour.
Cllr Tom Simon argued that the council needs to tackle issues like homelessness and drug-dealing more effectively, criticizing Labour's management of resources.
Finance chief Camron Aref-Adib emphasized that the council tax rise was necessary to cope with rising demand for frontline services as local government funding dwindles.
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