Lib Dems Slam Budget Illusion

12.00.00pm GMT Fri 19th Feb 2010

Wokingham Liberal Democrats are outraged that the Conservatives on Wokingham Borough Council have approved a budget which doesn't stack up. Hidden in the budget papers was a reference to 'significant supplementary estimates'. This means that the Conservatives have failed to put funding in the budget to cover all their planned spending.

Cllr Prue Bray, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Wokingham Borough Council, said: 'The Conservatives know they are going to spend money that they haven't put in the budget. This sleight of hand is unprecedented in the history of budget setting at Wokingham Borough Council. I just wonder what the Conservatives are trying to hide.

'If the Conservatives had included this money in the budget, the Council Tax increase would have been much, much higher. By playing a trick like this, they are keeping the Council Tax increase artificially low. That might seem good to residents in the short-term, but the Conservatives must not sacrifice services after the local elections to pay for this budgetary illusion. I am sure that the Conservatives would rather have kept this ruse under wraps until after the local elections in May, when it will be too late for voters to do anything about it. Now it is out in the open, they cannot just magic it away.'

HOW TO CHECK THE COUNCIL AGENDA:

1) Reference to the Supplementary Estimates can be found under item 97.00 of the Council Agenda (18/02/10), and it is repeated on page 66.

2) Further details can be found in the Executive Agenda (18/02/10), pages 67 to 69 (particularly the second paragraph on page 69).