Tory Council has increased Council Tax by a staggering 89% since 1997! (Surrey Heath Liberal Democrats

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Tory Council has increased Council Tax by a staggering 89% since 1997!

February 22, 2005 4:42 PM

Cllr John Falkner and Cllr Duncan Clark holding up a sign stating the Conservatives have made you pay 89% more Council Tax since 1997!

Cllr Duncan Clark and Cllr John Falkner highlight the staggering increase of 89% in Council Tax

FACT: Between 1997 and 2004 Conservative Surrey County Council have increased Council Tax for a Band D property by a staggering 89%!

For too many years the Conservative county council administration has been seeking to put all the blame on the government without recognising that it has had numerous opportunities to review how their budget is spent. They have failed to properly address the issues of inefficiency and waste.

Councillor John Faulkner, Prospective County candidate for Chobham, West End and Bisley said "The Liberal Democrats have put forward constructive proposals for making savings without cutting services. These include improving the energy efficiency of Council buildings, reducing the millions of pounds spent on consultants and improving the monitoring of the Council's contracts. Unfortunately, the Conservative administration has been slow to tackle waste and inefficiency. The result is that Surrey's residents will suffer by paying higher Council Tax and next year having to cope with hidden cuts in services"

Councillor Duncan Clark, Prospective County candidate for Frimley Green, Mytchett and Deepcut commented, "The Liberal Democrats 'Axe The Tax' campaign continues to receive overwhelming support from local residents. We want Council Tax to be replaced with a fairer system - local income tax - which is based upon ability to pay."