The Conservative administration at Essex County Council has been stripped of its four star council rating a year after being given the status, but has still hiked up council tax. At a meeting of the full council today (12 February) to debate the council’s budget, Conservatives voted to raise council tax by 4.2%, which is considerably above the average pay rise achieved by taxpayers.

The Liberal Democrat group proposed an alternative budget that would have seen more money spent on road and footway repairs, youth services and recycling initiatives, but this was rejected by the Conservatives.

Commenting on the council’s performance, Cllr Tom Smith-Hughes, Liberal Democrats group leader said: “This has been a poor performance year for the county council, the highlight of which has been the same financial mismanagement we have seen in previous years, but this time an extraordinary near £11m overspend on the highways budget . Coupled with the loss of the prestigious four star council rating that the Conservatives gained and then promptly lost, no doubt Essex taxpayers will be wondering why they are being asked to pay considerably more to a council administration that is less competent now than last year.

Council tax remains the unfairest tax we have and Essex taxpayers have seen council tax double under this combined Labour government and Conservative council administration. For the lowest earners in our community, around 10% of their income is now spent on council tax.

Children’s services have been downgraded and the county council now only offers no more than an adequate service. It is always disappointing when services aimed at the most vulnerable members of our community are not as effective as they should be and especially so when these involve children. The Tories must do better.

Overall, it is clear that this accident prone Conservative ruling party is performing significantly below the level they would have us believe. Its mismanagement of its finances is a serious and ongoing issue and being downgraded to a three star council from a four star one is careless to say the least. Consistent talk from the Tories that they are financially competent and are capable of sustaining public services at a four star level, are patently untrue and are simply talk. The only four stars that this Conservative administration has earned are for spin.”