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2010 city council budget is slammed
PETERBOROUGH City Council's proposed budget for the next financial year has been slammed by opposition party members.
PETERBOROUGH City Council's proposed budget for the next financial year has been slammed by opposition party members.The council announced on Monday a 2.5 per cent increase in council tax in 2010/11 as well as plans to make savings of 15 million in a year, which will result in job losses.
Related: Peterborough's council tax set for second hike, 7 December 2009 (54 comments).
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But the Conservative-led council has been criticised by the other parties who fear that taxpayers are losing out as a result of past frivolous spending.
One project that has particularly angered some councillors is the 600,000 that could be spent on a water taxi park-and-ride service along the city's waterways.
Liberal Democrat councillor Nick Sandford said: "If they are cutting more jobs to make savings but it does not affect front-line services, then the council must have been an incredibly inefficient and bureaucratic organisation in the first place.
"And they are talking about bringing in water taxis. I just don't think it should be a major priority at this time."
The budget also shows the council intends to spent 269,000 developing Wi-Fi in the city centre.
A need for extra school places in the east of the city, as a result of a large rise in migration and population growth, has seen 750,000 set aside to re-open Hereward College followed by another 5 million investment in 2012/13.
The council proposes to spend 7.7 million on new school places in the city next year.
And English Democrat councillor Graham Murphy thinks the council tax increase has come too late to make up for future deficits.
He said: "I felt 1.4 per cent was a non-starter in the last budget. But now we're at zero inflation and we have a tax increase of 2.5 per cent, it's ludicrous."
Labour Parliamentary candidate Ed Murphy has called on the council to get a tighter grip on its finances.
He said: "There have been growing calls from voters in Peterborough and the surrounding villages for the council to focus on the essentials and cut spending on councillor's expenses, pet projects and expensive magazines."
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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