Surrey County Council have rejected the government's council tax freeze alongside the extra grant that comes with it. The press release is deliberately selective: identify gap and line it up with an item of expenditure. In this case: road maintenance.
The council’s cabinet is set to discuss rejecting the Government’s freeze because it would lead to a £70m financial shortfall over five years.
A council spokesman said that was equivalent to wiping out Surrey’s road maintenance budget for more than two years.
This shortfall is defined by the council as "long term pain", or by the taxpayer, as an opportunity to reduce waste.
This is the same council that lets highway verges become flytip wastes and then persecutes those who try to clean up their neighbourhood, with fees and punitive administration. Surrey County Council may be run by Tories but there is not a conservative principle at play in its words or actions.
The Tax Payers Alliance notes that Surrey had, at least ten people (pdf file), earning over £100,000 for the year 2009-2010. Enough said.
