Across Wales, Councils are currently sitting on over £2 billion in usable reserves, yet residents in Monmouthshire are facing a Council Tax rise of 7.8%, and residents in Torfaen facing a rise of 4.95%. Year after year, the people of Wales are hit with Council Tax rises, with many having seen their bill double since 2010, yet Councils are hoarding billions of pounds in usable reserves.
The Welsh Conservatives have fought to keep council tax down across Wales by calling for an independent review of the Local Government Funding Formula and to ensure usable reserves are used to keep Council Tax low and introduce referendums for any Council proposing a Council Tax rise above 5%. Furthermore, we have called on Local Governments in Wales to become more efficient, along with ensuring more cross-Council working and the sharing of resources and services.
Peter Fox, Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport & Rural Affairs, has said:
“Under the Welsh Labour Government, the Local Government Funding Formula remains broken and not fit for purpose.”
“It cannot be right our residents in Monmouthshire and Torfaen are facing a 7.8% and 4.95% increase respectively in their Council Tax, whilst Councils across Wales are sitting on over £2 billion in usable reserves.”
“The Labour Welsh Government in the Senedd must do more to keep Council Tax as low as possible by encouraging the use of usable reserves, efficiency within the council and encouraging the sharing of resources across council boundaries.”
