Lib Dems freeze council tax

7.46.00pm GMT Sat 14th Mar 2009

Local Lib Dem Councillors celebrate the council tax freeze

Lib Dems on Camden Council have agreed to freeze council tax to help local residents through the recession.

Over the next two years the Camden portion of the council tax will not go up at all. When we asked residents how we could help them fight the credit crunch, they asked us to freeze council tax. We listened. The freeze will not reduce any core services, and it won't increase other 'hidden' charges.

When Labour ran the Council, they put Council Tax up every single year.

Kentish Town Councillor and Executive Member for Resources Ralph Scott said: "Our top priority is to help people through hard times. With people all over Camden tightening their belts, their Council should do the same. Council tax is hugely unfair as it hits the poorest hardest. This freeze will make a real difference to people in Camden struggling to pay their bills."

Lib Dem-led Camden has frozen the adult services fees (like meals on wheels) that we control and other fees and charges where we think they are sensitive to the recession, and are investing heavily in our borough. There is a £1bn capital programme (over 6 years) which delivers new buildings and services as we promised - including a new school, new old people's homes, decent council homes and Kentish Town Baths.

Lib Dems are investing £8.4m for young people and £1m extra into understanding what facilities young people need - and delivering them. Across the borough, there have been no cuts to youth services. In fact, the Lib Dem-led council is prioritising services for young people.

Lib Dems are also investing in the environment. We're spending £1.5m revenue on sustainability this year - on top of the £3m in 2008/09. In addition we're rolling out new food and garden waste collections across the borough in 2010 at a cost of £3.4m.

The Lib Dems are also fighting the recession with a £6m Camden Recovery Fund.

We have done this by making every pound pull its weight. Over the four years of this administration we will have made £39 million worth of efficiency savings …and we're not running down the reserves like Labour want to.

The Labour Party refused to support the Lib Dem council tax freeze, instead proposing an irresponsible stunt that would eat into the council's earmarked reserves - money set aside to fund investment in homes, care, and schools.