South Norfolk's LibDems voted down local Conservatives proposed a 1.4% rise in Council Tax at South Norfolk Council's budget meeting this week.

After 12 years of LibDem failure they bulldozed-through a 2.9% rise with the  hollow boast that they've been leading a council that lives within its means.

But John Fuller asked residents to look at the record of the LibDems “living within its means“ after 12 years of administration in South Norfolk.

The Council’s own figures show

• Council Tax up 285% in 12 years... six times the rate of inflation
• The Collection Fund Raided from £439,000 in the bank and now overdrawn by £33,000
• £6m raised from a sale of land at Mulbarton that has been frittered away.  Reserves that have subsidised local tax bills for since the land sale have been exhausted.They’ve all gone. Wasted. Six Million Pounds of Your Money Blown Away like autumn leaves.
• They over-taxed residents by £900,000 & £600,000 in two years 2004/6 as they’ve built-up an election war chest so the 2.9% increase this year doesn’t fool anyone.

With the Olympics coming to London, the LibDems would take Gold in the 100m spend!

Conservative finance spokesman Garry Wheatley [pictured right] accused LibDems of selling the family silver and wasting Council assets in a plan to give-away £2.4m of private housing to local social landlords... with a further £1.5m give-away program next year.

LibDems are well on the way to frittering-away the £31m in the bank from the sale of 4000 Council Houses to Saffron Housing with an incredible £17.7m capital budget.

Conservatives planned to limit tax rises by bringing forward the Council's own efficiency plans by 12 months.  John Fuller said  "You don't have to make cuts to make savings. That means slimming down the senior management structure. It's ridiculous to have 13 directors for a business that turns over just £12m.

South Norfolk cannot afford the LibDems running our affairs any longer.