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City Hall Greens propose £10 annual council tax hike to save fire stations

February 6, 2013 - Martin Hoscik@MayorWatch

The Chamber at London City Hall
The London Assembly will consider the Mayor’s budget this Friday.
Green Party London Assembly Members will this week ask the Assembly to back an amendment to the Mayor’s budget which could save threatened fire stations and freeze bus fares.

The amendment will be presented to the full Assembly on Friday when it meets to consider the Mayor’s draft budget for 2013/14.

The Mayor’s budget includes a 7p per week cut in City Hall’s share of council tax.

The Green amendment instead proposes increasing the precept by 2%, a move they say would cost £10 a year for a band D property and raise enough money to “safeguard” fire stations under threat of closure.

When fare cuts are factored in the group says their measures would give “an average household a net saving of £50 a year”.

Other proposals to save expenditure and raise revenue include scrapping the Mayor’s new bus, winding down the Met’s Territorial Support Group, reducing police overtime and increasing the standard congestion charge to £17 with a higher rate of £40 for vehicles with high level pollution emissions.

Earlier this week Green Party AM Jenny Jones said the Mayor was failing to get the best value from the policing budget and had become “obsessed with police officer numbers” rather than their effectiveness.

Publishing the amendment, Darren Johnson AM said: “The Green amendment puts public safety and lower fares before gimmicks like council tax cuts and the New Bus for London.

“Households will pay an extra £10 a year due to a 2% council tax rise to save fire stations threatened by cuts, and households will save £60 a year from cheaper transport fares. We will also tackle longstanding problems ignored by the Mayor, such as central London’s serious air pollution problem.”

The Assembly will question the Mayor on his budget from 10am on Friday 8th February. The meeting takes place at City Hall and is open to the public. A webcast will also be available.

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Tagged With: Fire Brigade Cuts

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