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Camden News - by PAUL KIELTHY
Published: 5 March 2009

Heated debate over council tax ‘freeze’

FROZEN council tax does not mean a freeze on ideas, the ruling Lib Dem/Conservative coalition claimed as it forced through its 0 per cent budget plan on Monday night.
“A key part of our recession response is to freeze our council tax not just this year but next year as well,” said Councillor Keith Moffit, the council’s Lib Dem leader, who claimed that Camden’s work on analysing the recession was “solid and much admired”.
The 2009 budget includes a £6m “recession fund”, the council’s first response to recession trends that saw neighbouring Town Hall’s rush into action plans in October.
But that £6m is for two years and includes a £4m emergency grant to training schemes left cashless by cuts from Mayor Boris Johnson’s City Hall.
“This recession package does not contain much that is new,” said Labour finance spokesman Councillor Theo Blackwell, whose alternative budget contained a £50 rebate to every taxpayer
“to put money in people’s pockets.”
Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Marshall claimed credit for the freeze while attacking Labour for having “no credibility on the issue”. Green Councillor Maya de Souza advocated a “green spend” council tax rise with funds going to insulate 9,000 Camden homes.

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