The Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Cllr Peter Marland, has responded to Tory claims that MK Council is 'hoarding taxpayer’s money'
The Milton Keynes Conservative Group has today (18/1) called out the Council stating that its reserves have remained at £200 million, despite the Council Tax rise.
Last month, MKFM reported that Council tax is set to rise by 3.75%. The Leader of the Council told MKFM that this rise was to plug the gap in funding for social care and other services.
The Conservative Group are now accusing MK Council of 'hoarding taxpayer’s money at a time where many households are feeling the pinch with the cost of living on the increase.'
Cllr Allan Rankine, the Conservative Group’s Finance Spokesperson, said: “The Labour and Liberal Democrat Council are smashing taxpayers with another council tax increase that will hurt families across Milton Keynes.
"Not only are households paying more, they’re now receiving less with weekly recycling collections being cut and crucial bus services across the city removed.
"They promised to reduce reserves to £110 million by 2025 but we have no faith this will be delivered. The stashing of reserves in Council coffers represents a lack of confidence in delivering big projects on time and on budget. Residents’ money is not working hard and that is not acceptable.”
Cllr Pete Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes Council, has called the Conservatives' comments 'nonsense'.
He commented: “The MK Conservatives are playing the same old tune. It’s the same tired old repeats they use every year because while Conservative councils are cutting services elsewhere, here in MK they’ve got nothing of substance to say about the real content of the budget.
"The vast majority of council reserves are there to fund upcoming infrastructure projects, schools like at Glebe Farm or new health facilities such as the one at Whitehouse. Some of those schemes have been delayed by the pandemic, but the money earmarked for these projects will begin to be used quickly over the next few years.
"We are using other cash reserves to help balance the budget this year and keep our council tax increase below inflation, making it still the lowest council tax rate in the region. Had we taken the MK Conservative approach we’d have blown that cash on useless and unnecessary spending like free parking years ago.
"The people of MK aren’t fooled by Tory fibs and regurgitated attacks. The Conservatives are now the party of high tax and the public know it, talking nonsense about reserves shows why they aren’t fit to be in any position to make important decisions in this city.”
