The District Auditor, an independent watchdog, has examined the LibDem-led Canterbury City Council budget and says it is PRUDENT! Canterbury & Whitstable Liberal Democrats have managed to keep Council Tax increases down to just 7.9% this year, compared to 12.5% at Tory-run Kent County Council. LAST YEAR THE CANTERBURY TORIES BROUGHT IN AN INCREASE OF 8.8%. So LibDems cost you less!

"This means that the Canterbury City Council increase is only about 18p per week for an average, Band D home", explained LibDem City Council Leader Alex Perkins. "That's just £9 more per year - while local services keep the same or even increase. Tory-run KCC have demanded a whopping £100 per year increase, which we will all have to pay. That's £100 more that every home will have to spend out in tax thanks to the Tories, AND they are cutting services and 300 jobs!"

What's more, Tory-run KCC have run up staggering debts of over £600million. This seems unbelievable - until you discover that the Tory leader of Kent County Council is the highest paid councillor in the country. He pays himself £48,000 a year. That's about double the amount paid to other County Council leaders. That's why you have to pay so much more to Tory-run KCC!

Out of every £5 you pay in Council tax £4 goes to Tory-run KCC and another 50p goes straight to the police. So only 50p from your £5 goes to Canterbury City Council.

Putting local people first

Canterbury City Council spends more on local services for local people than any other authority in Kent, yet we have the third lowest Council Tax in the county.

When the council debated the PRUDENT budget put forward by the LibDems the Tories didn't try and change any of it. The only thing they said was that the LibDem plans to find £1/4million savings without cutting any services should not go ahead. THAT WOULD MEAN INCREASING THE LOCAL TAX TO 12.9%. EVEN HIGHER THAN TORY-RUN KCC! When the vote was taken on that many of the Tories on CCC ignored their leader and just abstained. One of them even voted with the LibDem proposal of 7.9% instead. COMMON SENSE REALLY AS THE DISTRICT AUDITOR HAD SAID THE BUDGET WAS PRUDENT!

SO IT JUST GOES TO SHOW - TORY COUNCILS COST YOU MORE.

What's more the local Council budget has something for everyone. We have worked together with the police to stop crime. We are the only local authority that has a police inspector working from the council offices to help co-ordinate our battle against crime. And our CCtv is recognised as one of the best in the country.

Tory-run Kent County Council are responsible for traffic, roads, pavements and pot-holes. But what have they done to solve these problems? Under the Tories our pavements have just got worse and worse! You've said it yourself!

LIBDEMS LOCALLY PROVIDE A BETTER SERVICE FOR EVERYONE AT A PRICE YOU CAN AFFORD! DON'T LET THE TORIES RIP YOU OFF!

22 February 2003

Canterbury & Whitstable Liberal Democrats