Leeds City Council approve budget which includes tax rises, job cuts and parking charges
The local authority is looking to save around ÂŁ65 million over the next financial year
Leeds City Council has voted to approve multi-million pound spending cuts as part of budget proposals for the next financial years.
The cash-strapped local authority is also proposing job cuts, closing some care homes and increasing car parking charges for public places like parks.
It means council tax will rise by the maximum amount of 4.99% from April and council house rents will increase by 7.7%.
Council leader James Lewis said: "Today this administration is putting forward a balanced budget, which is a remarkable achievement given the national financial crisis facing local government.
"The huge scale of the problem is well known.
"There is no magic wand, instead it will be a long road to improve things.”
The council tax rise is made up of a 2.99% core council tax increase, along with a 1.99% “social care precept” to help meet the cost of looking after vulnerable people.
Coun Lewis said the burden of funding council services had shifted from central to local government in recent years.
He said: “What it means in reality is we are stretching people’s council tax every year to cover the gap created by central government cuts.”
Coun Alan Lamb, Conservative group leader, criticised financial management by the authority’s leadership.
He told the meeting: “He portrays us as the victims of circumstances while never taking responsibility for the poor decisions he and the administration have taken.
“They promised to unleash culture. Instead they unleashed an enormous bill and a package of cuts to services, and the introduction of fees and charges for things people have never had to pay for before.
"It doesn’t have to be this way.”
The budget was passed with no amendments.
58 voted for the budget, three voted no and there were 30 abstentions.