Tories at war over Conwy Council tax rise.

It seems the Tories of Conwy are at war - A report in today's Daily Post says:

"THERE were calls yesterday for three councillors to be expelled from the Conservative Party for voting for a 4% council tax rise.

The Conwy County Councillors voted with other parties for the rise last month because they felt it would have been illegal not to do so and set a budget...."

You may recall from an earlier post by me Ynys Môn Council Tax - some context that Conwy County Council had in the financial year 2011-2012 and average Band D Council Tax rates the 4th lowest rate in Wales.

You may also recall the big fuss the Tories made when the Commissioners whom run the executive function of Ynys Môn, following consultation made a final recommendation that the Ynys Môn Council element of the Council Tax should increase by 4.5%

I think all you need to say about Conwy’s Tory group leader and Clwyd West Conservative Association chairman Cllr William Knightly; is to quote him directly from the Daily Post, when asked about the fact that Cllr Merfyn Thomas had resigned from his group and will stand as an Independent in May’s local elections:

He is “disappointed” with the resignation of a “damn good councillor”.

Meanwhile Cllr Merfyn Thomas and former Conservative Councillor whom stood by what he believed was the correct choice for his constituents said to the Daily Post:

[...T]he 4% rise in 2012-2013 would be the equivalent to householders in a Band D property of buying “a Mars Bar” a week, not agreeing the rise and budget would have been illegal. Nor was there an alternative budget. He resigned because he didn’t want a whip on such issues.

An interesting concept of localism there by the Tories, which seems to say you can decide locally as long any decision taken concurs with policy set nationally.

Ynys Môn council tax - some context.

The Commissioners, whom manage Cyngor Ynys Môn on behalf of Carl Sargeant; Minister for Social Justice & Local Government, and the shadow executive have agreed to recommend to the full council that the council element of the Council Tax should next financial year increase by 4.5% (or less than a £1 each week for average Band D).

The final decision will be made by the Full Council 3 March 2011.

But before we start jumping up and down I think it's worth putting this in some sort of context.

Click on image to enlarge

This financial year (2010-2011) as can be seen from the above chart (showing average Band D rates for Wales) from the Welsh Assembly, Cyngor Ynys Môn had a council tax well below the national average, and the 5th lowest council tax in Wales.

We also need to look back at previous increases in council tax.

Then there are specific concerns that Cyngor Ynys Môn need to address:

1. The need to find efficiency savings of £10 million over the next few years
2. The need to improve the corporate center of the council
3. Previous under investment in education on the island
4. Local concerns such as a desire to keep swimming pools open as well as local conveniences.
5. A reduced revenue support grant.

And you can't forget that the Commissioners are here to sort out the mess left by years of political discourse and political infighting.

If we want good council services we need to pay for them, and sometimes that means paying more. It seems for the next few years as the Council gets to grip with previous overspends and poor leadership Council tax may need to raise year on year.

You could argue that the Welsh Assembly should pay for these increases through the revenue support grant, but then again the Welsh Assembly itself has less monies to spend and other priorities. We are in an age of austerity after all.

I find it strange that some in the Welsh Conservatives complain that in Wales we spend less per child on education than England, but when it's proposed too increase spending on education on the island they complain again.

Ynys Môn Conservatives it seems, think the proposed increase in the council element of the Council tax is far too high, preferring instead maybe greater cuts to the Councils' budget, making more Council workers jobless and the of closing swimming baths. As Conservative Cllr Goronwy Parry once famously said the children can always learn to swim in the sea.

It's a fine balancing act, Cyngor Ynys Môn percentage increase in the council element of the Council Tax may be highest in Wales (you cannot compare with England they have a different revenue grant system), but I for one think the Commissioners have got it right. 

And the Council tax will still be below the national average.