Council look to more multi million pound cuts – Leader pledges to keep council tax ‘as low as possible’

A ‘ding-dong’ over whether local residents should be asked to pay more council has taken place in the Guildhall chamber.

Executive board members had been asked to approve the timetable for this year’s budget process – which includes various councillor workshops, public meetings and the now annual autumn launch of the public consultation which will look at how to make multi million pound savings.

Looking ahead for 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, it is estimated that Wrexham Council will have a budget shortfall of almost £10 million – meaning more cuts and reductions to services are once again on the horizon.

Speaking yesterday Leader of Wrexham Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard said that it is an “extremely difficult time for local authorities” and that it would be a hard process going forward.

However what was expected to be a ‘quick decision making process’ saw a council tax debate between the council leader and Cllr Alun Jenkins reignite.

Cllr Jenkins – a long term advocate for higher council tax – argued that had the local authority raised council tax back in 2012, it would not be in the position it is in now.

In a back and to exchange between the two councillors, Cllr Jenkins said: “We’re reaching the point now where the basic services are going and we won’t be thanked by the people of Wrexham if they go anymore than we are going to be thanked for putting up council tax.

“Wrexham has the seventh lowest council tax level in the whole of the UK and therefore there is the prospect now of being able to raise more money locally in order to keep some of those much needed services going that the people of Wrexham desperately want to keep going.”

He later added: “We won’t be thanked by people of Wrexham if we break the council. If we break the council by starving it of money and resources then much needed services are going to go.”

However Cllr Pritchard said raising council tax is not the issue and called on the UK and Welsh Governments to provide more funding to local authorities.

Cllr Prichard said: “It was with reluctance last year that we had to raise the council tax to 5.5 per cent. If we could have done something to keep it lower than that then we would have.

“The answer isn’t just going ahead and raising council tax to percentage that a lot of people can’t afford and you push them over the edge.

“It is a piece of the jigsaw but it is not the answer.

“I will always work tirelessly to keep the council tax down as low as can.

“Some people are struggling out there, the 5.5 per cent has made it difficult for them. Let’s not forget that.”

He also challenged Cllr Jenkins to go to full council next year and propose higher increases and “see what response you get from the people of Wrexham”.

It’s not the first time such a debate has taken place between the two councillors.

Just a few short months ago in January Cllr Jenkins argued that the planned council tax increase of 5.5 per cent was not enough to help save local services.

Instead Cllr Jenkins suggested that council tax rose to 9.5 per cent and that the extra funds generated could be put in a ‘special reserve’ that would become a protection against cuts and would mean over time mean more services could be saved.

However the debate was drawn to a close by Cllr Hugh Jones, deputy council leader, who called for a point of order; stating that the report was about the timetable for the budget process and not discussing such proposals now.

Cllr Derek Wright also asked if previous cuts that had been considered by the council could be highlighted during an all member workshop for councillors.

He noted that a number of representatives elected to the local authority two years ago may be unaware of what had been discussed since 2012 and that some newer councillors are ‘scared of putting things forward that have already been considered’.

Wrexham Council has already made cuts of over £60 million in recent years and has already warned that there is ‘no money in the bank for 2021’.

Cllr David A Bithell, lead member for environment and transport, said: “I don’t think any elected member should be embarrassed if they’re not sure what has been raised previously.

“The reality is I would encourage every elected member to attend the workshops and if they have an idea whatever it is, either raise to lead members or come to workshops and make some suggestions. We will look at everything.”

Cllr Jones added that there are “no, no go areas” in terms of what could be looked at to make savings, noting “in terms of things we have looked at in the past will be on the agenda again.”

Executive board members voted unanimously in favour of the budget timetable for the next year.

Speaking to Wrexham.com after the meeting, Cllr Pritchard said: “I have never been on the same page as Alun in reference to council tax.

“We have to set council tax that is affordable to our resident constituents, and that does not put them under financial burden.

“If you put council tax up in Wrexham by 1 per cent you generate around £500,000 That is not the answer. If you go down the line of what Cllr Jenkins wants to do, increase by 4 – 10 per cent that is not the answer, what do you do the next year? Or the year after?

“The answer is to fund local authorities accordingly.

“As much as I respect Alun, he has got it wrong, and I will not support putting the council tax up to the levels he is demanding. We will look at the council tax year on year and see what pressures we have to meet and the money we have to find.

“I would like to remind Cllr Jenkins, I have had representations from individuals and families who have told me if we put the council tax up to what he wants, it would put them over the edge and into a financial black hole.

“I understand the dilemma Cllr Jenkins is in, that he does not want to stop or cut services, but the bluntness is he has to make the representations to Westminster and Cardiff to fund local authorities accordingly.

“I will continue to work to keep council tax as low as possible.”