Financially solid Liberal Democrats

Official Chesterfield Borough Council reports show that the former Liberal Democrat Borough Council that lost power in the May elections, left the borough's finances in very good order indeed. Despite the general public being told by Labour politicians that the Liberal Democrats had 'spent all the money' the reports show that the Borough Council left over £8 million of reserves ( savings ) and that the annual budget was balanced for at least the next two years! This comes at a time when many Councils across the country are having to cut services to the public and close down facilities such as swimming pools and libraries. Cllr Ray Russell ( Leader of the Borough Council Liberal Democrat Group ) said ' When people look around the borough and see the many exciting things that have happened under the Liberal Democrat Council and see the health of the Council's finances I hope they will feel that we did a very solid job - particularly as we also had to find £3.2 million of savings to make up for the money lost by the Labour Government's underfunding of the national concessionary bus pass scheme. The finances were left in a very good state which, if used wisely, should mean that the Borough Council can keep its share of the Council Tax to be the lowest.in Derbyshire - as well as finding some money to improve our borough still further.'