For the last few years North Herts Council has set itself the target of increasing the Council Tax by less than 2% above the rate of inflation. This is too high and every year the Liberal Democrats propose a lower rise.

Now inflation is negative you might have expected smaller increases, but the Council has decided to change its target. Now it is 2% above inflation, unless inflation is negative, in which case it is 2%. So the lower inflation is the more you will be asked to pay in real terms.

Not a great way to help people when times are hard.

Lib Dem leader Steve Jarvis proposed sticking with the old target, but the Conservatives AND Labour said this would be terribly risky and voted it down.

For some reason almost every Conservative Councillor voted against a motion calling for the County Council to look at better waste disposal solutions than incineration at the council meeting on Thursday.

Some just repeated that it is better than land fill, which is true, but there are many solutions that are better still. Anaerobic digestion would be cheaper and environmentally preferable for example but, for some reason the Conservatives don’t think that it should even be considered.

North Herts Council’s cabinet has agreed to spend an extra £43,000 on lawyers, but decided that it could not guarantee that the popular Play Ranger children’s play schemes will not be axed, when it met on Tuesday. 

Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition Steve Jarvis said, “The Council used to provide legal services for North Herts Homes, who paid the Council for this, but North Herts Homes have decided that they don’t need this service any more. Rather than cut the amount spent on lawyers, the council has decided that they will increase the council’s own spending to make up the difference. The same meeting of the cabinet that agreed to spend more on lawyers said that they could not guarantee that the popular children’s Play Ranger scheme, which has been a great success with parents and children this year, will continue in 2010.”“Once again the council has its priorities wrong. It’s more concerned about looking after the council than providing services for local people.”

The final decision on the Play Ranger scheme will have to wait until the council sets its budget next February.