Every financial year, Oxfordshire’s County Councillors provide a Green Budget as an alternative to the proposals of the Conservative County Council. Each year, they make money go further in order to help protect the poorest and most vulnerable in our County. David Williams, leader of the Green Group on the County Council, explains the Green approach for the coming financial year:
“Greens are advocating a 7% budget rise for the coming financial year. This requires a referendum so the public can decide if they want Children’s Centres, shelter places for the homeless, assistance to the vulnerable young and old in their homes and other essential services.”
On the Government’s recent gift of £300 million to local councils, 84% of them Conservative run or dominated, David Williams says:
“The Government’s one-off gift of an extra £9 million spread over two years will only keep our Children’s Centres open for one more year. We have created a ‘Crisis Fund’ in our proposed budget to keep people off the streets, and to protect the most vulnerable. Our Police are already spending a considerable amount of time shepherding people with mental health problems into care, or returning them home. One estimate puts this issue at 15-30% of police officer time in the country. Like adult social care, the Police are also being cut back.”
What will the Green budget cost? David Williams says:
“Our budget, if accepted, will add about 74p a week to average council tax bills or less than £40 extra per year compared to the Conservative County Council’s proposals. This is very little to maintain some limited care for the most vulnerable people in our County.”
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