Report reveals Conservative Surrey continues to hoard Council taxpayers money

24 May 2013

Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have condemned the County's ruling Conservative administration for continuing to hoard council taxpayers money in reserves while putting up Council Tax by the maximum central government will allow without a referendum.

The YEAR END FINANCIAL OUTTURN 2012/13 being discussed by Surrey County Council's Conservative Cabinet on Tuesday, 28 May states that "Usable reserves" have grown from £269.1 million on 31 March 2012 to £288.5 million on 31 March 2013. In addition it is proposed to transfer an extra £5.2 million to the Budget Equalisation Reserve - a "slush fund" for carrying unspent money from one year to the next.

Commenting on the figures Cllr Hazel Watson, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition on Surrey County Council said: "In February, when the Conservative run County Council increased Council Tax by nearly 2%, despite opposition from their own government ministers, we argued that Council Tax should be frozen and that the Conservative administration was just piling up money in the bank, this report shows the Liberal Democrats were right to oppose the Council Tax increase.

"Surrey Conservatives are taking Council Tax off residents and storing it up in a long and ever increasing list of reserves, and they plan to continue doing this with 2.5% Council Tax increases every year.

"In one year, the Council's reserves increased by more than £19 million, despite the Conservative-run County Council pleading poverty, increasing council tax and turning down extra money from central government. At a time when many Surrey residents are struggling to pay their bills, it is unacceptable for council tax to be increased unnecessarily and to make residents worse off.

"Many other Councils across the country have frozen council tax to help their residents. Surrey residents deserve the same."

Link to Year End Financial Outturn:

http://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/documents/s5824/Annex%201%20-%20Outturn%20Monitoring.pdf

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