Conservative Buffets V Lib Dem Services
March 7, 2011 12:30 PM
Keep our buffets, cut our services: that was the message from Kent Conservatives at the County Council's budget meeting.
Conservative councillors voted to keep £1,000 buffets for councillors and to put £5 million into a "Big Society" fund. At the same time, the Conservatives slashed spending on many services, including moving the start time for pensioner free bus pass use from 9am to 9.30.
A proposal by the Lib Dems to scrap the annual £8,000 cost of buffets at council meetings was rejected by the Conservatives. In defending the spending, they claimed the meals were "a good way to socialise".
The Liberal Democrats proposed costed plans to:
- Invest now to immediately tackle the backlog of essential repairs in local schools
- Keep the start time for pensioner bus passes at 9am
- Extend the Kent Freedom Pass to 17 - 18 year olds, to give them support following the ending of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
The ruling Conservative group voted down all the proposals.
After the meeting, Folkestone West County Councillor Tim Prater commented:
"The Lib Dems wanted to protect services for Kent residents.
"We wanted more spent on our schools, on supporting our elderly, on supporting young people. Our costed proposals would have allowed the County to do those things: but the Conservatives voted against. What a way to treat local people.
"Kent Conservatives need to urgently look at their priorities. They are out of step with public opinion, and need to remove the cost of buffets for Councillors from the budget entirely."