DARKER TIMES AHEAD FOR POWYS THANKS TO ASSEMBLY CASH CUT - ÖPIK (Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats)

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Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrats <montlibdems@gmail.com>

DARKER TIMES AHEAD FOR POWYS THANKS TO ASSEMBLY CASH CUT - ÖPIK

October 15, 2008 3:09 PM

In light of the collapse of Icelandic Banks with which Powys County Council had £4 million worth of savings, news today that Powys County Council is to receive a below average funding increase for next year has been met with dismay by Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire.

Powys County Council would receive £177.9 million to fund services in 2009-10 an increase of 1.5 per cent - the lowest in Wales and well below the Welsh average increase of 2.9 per cent.

Had the funding been increased in line with inflation, currently at 5.2 per cent, the council would have received around £8.9 million extra but instead there will only be an extra £2.6 million.

Commenting, Lembit Öpik said:

"The rate of inflation is at a 16 year high but our council will get nowhere near it. This is effectively a real terms CUT in Council funding.

"At a time when the Assembly should be doing all it can to help county councils out, we are instead facing the grim prospect of rising council tax.

"I urge the Assembly to reconsider these funding decisions, to ensure that tax payers are not facing a steep increase in their council tax in addition to rising living costs, while services are squeezed under a drive for efficiency.

"At a time when the lights are already going out all over Powys with the Council switching the streetlamps off, this is quite literally a dark time for the county - and with this settlement it's all set to get a whole lot darker."

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