Council tax is set to rise by 4.99% while working-age residents may pay more as support is cut amid funding gap.
Council leader Butt calls the budget “challenging.” He says they’ll support vulnerable people. Opposition parties criticize the tax increase and dislike cuts to council tax support. They suggest using developer funds.
Conservatives didn’t comment directly, but submitted budget changes. They want residents to pay less tax and seek better services for the money. Their leader will present ideas this week.
Liberal Democrats call the budget “bad news.” Leader Lorber cited tax rises and service cuts. He says Labour follows Tory policies.
The Green Party blames government funding failures. They want more scrutiny of council policies, and claim one-party councils can be complacent.
Council tax will rise by 4.99 percent, including social care. The mayor’s part also increases 8.6 percent, resulting in residents’ bills rising 5.8 percent.
Conservatives want a 3.99 percent increase. This would mean a £1,627.11 council tax for Band D, demonstrating their desire for better management of finances.
Liberal Democrats claim residents pay double for social care, saying Brent will charge £2,133 for Band D tax. Greens say the tax increase is inevitable, and they criticized the tax’s unfairness.
The council changed council tax support. Now everyone will have to pay something, with working-age people paying a minimum of 35 percent. Pensioners’ support won’t change, and support will depend on income.
Conservatives support the changes. They want the minimum to be 40 percent, which could save £1m to help some pensioners.
Liberal Democrats disagree, stating 17,000 families face paying much more. Greens say cuts hurt vulnerable people.
The Conservatives suggest one hour of free parking to help local businesses. They also suggest using developer funds to support community projects, like libraries.
Liberal Democrats criticize “wasteful spending,” claiming it worsens the problem. They mentioned civic center costs and failed projects.
The Green Party suggests lobbying the government to address the social care crisis. They also suggest marketing the civic center as a conference center to raise money.