'Stop voting against things' Central Beds councillors told in debate over service fee increases
Central Bedfordshire councillors were told to “stop voting against things” during a discussion on proposed fee rises.
The comments came at a meeting of the Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday (April 21), where members scrutinised proposals for increases of up to 10 per cent on some discretionary charges.
The increases are linked to a £17 million shortfall following changes in government funding.
A report presented to the committee included a £1.315 million target linked to fees and charges, although councillors were told the latest proposed increases were unlikely to raise that amount on their own.
Councillor John Baker (Independent Group, Aspley & Woburn), the executive member for finance and highways, said: “I think it’d be in the hundreds of thousands [of pounds]”.
Councillor Baker added that if councillors opposed the increases, savings would need to be found elsewhere.
Responding to a question on a consultation on whether to increase fees and charges, councillor Baker said: “If we [as members] accept the answer is no, please tell me what the other cuts are coming.
He later said: “Members have spent a lot of time voting against things. And they spent a lot of time spending money.”
Referring to a recent Children’s Services meeting, he added members had argued to spend “66 million quid on Ivel Valley” without explaining where the money would come from.
Councillor Baker warned the council could eventually could “hit a brick wall where a long report going back 10 years would be written.”
Adding: “You only have to look at what’s happening in Bedford.”
“My advice to members is stop voting against things, because you don’t want to be in that report and be in the position Bedford are in right now.”
During the meeting, councillor Carol Hegley (Conservative, Dunstable Central) raised concerns about affordability of adult social care, saying some residents were not progressing with some services because “they just can’t afford them”.
The report said the increases were proposed partly “to protect front line services from further cuts”, with a six-week consultation under way before final decisions are expected in July.