Opposition groups on City of York Council have put forward their budget proposals ahead of a meeting to decide spending and tax plans for the coming financial year.
Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Nigel Ayre said his party’s proposals which include scrapping £600,000 cuts to the contract to run York’s libraries would help protect the city’s most vulnerable.
Conservative group leader Cllr Chris Steward said their proposed cut backs to council management and departmental spending would fund free green waste collections and help for struggling rural residents.
It comes as councillors are set to meet tomorrow (Thursday) to vote on budget proposals for 2025-6, including setting the rate of council tax and fees and charges.
Ruling Labour’s budget includes £150,000 for neighbourhood caretakers, £50,000 for free school meals trials and £20,000 to explore a new Dial & Ride service, among other pledges.
Proposals also include £1.8m efficiency savings and £1.7m already agreed cuts taking effect, a 4.99 per cent council tax hike and average fees and charges increases of 5 per cent.
The proposals come as part of efforts to fill a forecast £10m-a-year black hole in the council’s coffers which Labour finance spokesperson Cllr Katie Lomas has said is extremely challenging.
‘Ambitious but achievable’
Liberal Democrats have proposed spending £370,000 on frontline neighbourhood services and one-off commitments worth £150,000 for buses, £300,000 for green waste collection discounts and £340,000 to reverse parking charge hikes.
The opposition proposed partially reversing charge hikes to £4.85-an-hour for the first two and by an extra ten per cent at weekends and during events for further consultations and reviews.
Liberal Democrat proposals also include £200,000 to reinstate funding for elderly Day Clubs and £150,000 for a replacement Dial & Ride service, using money from a public health grant.
The opposition’s alternative budget proposes cuts worth £145,000 to council chief officer roles, £90,000 cuts to the council’s communications department and axing two executive members to save £40,000.
Cuts also include £140,000 from ICT spending, transferring economic development responsibilities to the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to save £105,000 and spending £150,000 less on facility management contracts.
The opposition has also proposed a voluntary tourist tax which they said would raise £150,000 for street cleaning and cutting a vacant assistant public health director post worth £120,000.
Council tax would still be hiked by 4.99 per cent.
Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Ayre said proposals which also include axing planned £600,000 cuts to York Explore’s contract to run libraries aimed to protect local services.
Group deputy leader Cllr Paula Widdowson said their proposals were ambitious but achievable, adding one-off commitments were made in anticipation of better future funding deals from the Government.
Cllr Widdowson said: “Our proposals put investment where it can have most impact in terms of improving residents’ access to services such as green waste collection and bus services.”
Conservative proposals include spending £1.57m to reinstate free collections for households’ first green waste bin, though charges would still apply for additional ones.
They have also proposed spending £50,000 on a new Dial & Ride service, £30,000 to hold Minster Badge charges at £30 and £200,000 for parking charge discounts.
One-off spending worth £25,000 would be used to set up a Farming and General Countryside Hardship Fund.
A further £10,000 in one-off spending would fund feasibility work on an orbital bus route linking villages to York Park and Ride sites.
Council revenue money totalling £100,000 would be used to help add £1m to highways capital spending.
Cut ‘needless management’
The Conservatives propose removing political assistant posts, cancelling councillors’ committee chairing special allowances and a senior management review to raise around £200,000 in total.
Outsourcing the management of York’s Mansion House, adult social care personal and day support and Flaxman Avenue disabled short break services would together save £149,000, according to the group.
Proposals also include saving £100,000 by getting North Yorkshire Police to fund CCTV, cutting council overtime spending by £100,000 and removing school crossing patrols where measures already exist, saving £20,000.
Cuts worth more than £1.25m combined would be made to communications and publicity, the Equalities Team, economic development, chief officer roles and capacity, along with other council roles and departments.
Council tax would rise by 4.97 per cent under the Conservatives’ plans.
Conservative leader Cllr Steward said their spending proposals would be funded by cutting needless management and money for council spin.
Group deputy leader Cllr Martin Rowley said the decision on Thursday over whether to accept their proposals for free garden waste collections would test how green the council truly is.
Ruling Labour Finance Executive Member Cllr Lomas said they were pleased to be presenting a sound budget that would feature no new cuts.
She added it would see investment in communities and it would allow her group to deliver on pledges including improving public spaces with neighbourhood caretakers.