Chesterfield residents sign up against Council Tax rises

Julia Cambridge, Parliamentary Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, handed the first batch of signatures against the proposed Council Tax increase to opposition leader Cllr Ray Russell this week, ahead of a second batch which will be taken to the Council meeting on Thursday evening.

Thousands of petitions have been delivered to households and angry residents have been adding their signatures to an online petition.

Proposals by Labour-run Chesterfield Borough Council to raise Council Tax this year have been slammed by local Liberal Democrat campaigner Julia Cambridge.

Julia said, "The Labour-run Council are consulting on proposals which include a 2% or even 3.6% Council Tax rise. A loophole in the rules would let them sneak this through without needing a referendum, which they know they would lose. Chesterfield residents made their views clear when Labour attempted the same thing last year."

Julia Cambridge added, "The government is offering the Council funding so that it can freeze Council Tax again this year. Labour's plans would mean rejecting that money and inflicting needless tax rises on hard-working people in Chesterfield, who are already suffering because of the recession left by the last Labour government."

Cllr Ray Russell condemned Labour's proposals: "Last year Labour tried to put up Council Tax and the huge opposition from local people forced them to drop their plans. They clearly have learnt nothing, as they are at it again proposing another Council Tax hike for local people.

"If Labour raised Council Tax by 2% it would bring in £76,000. But by extending the award winning contract with Avarto, negotiated by the previous Lib Dem Council they would save £100,000, and the Council would get around £40,000 Council Tax grant from the government too.

"Labour's dogma means they would prefer to raise ordinary people's Council Tax instead of these painless ways of raising £140,000."