Swansea-based AM Suzy Davies has called for the majority of Swansea Councillors who voted to increase council tax by 5% to explain their decision to residents.
She questioned the Council’s ability to prioritise at a time of financial restraint. Speaking in the Assembly, Mrs Davies said
“Only recently Swansea Council was all for spending over half a million pounds to extend the public gallery to prepare the council chamber to be able to broadcast their meetings. Yet only a few months later they have voted to increase council tax by 5%.”
Mrs Davies, the Welsh Conservative AM for South Wales West, added:
“I support the broadcast of council proceedings but I don’t support extravagance.
“Welsh Government has made money available for councils specifically to help with broadcasting but I understand Swansea Council has now abandoned its plans as it proved too expensive – so they couldn’t get it right anyway.
Outside of the Assembly chamber Mrs Davies went on to say:
“with technology and social media making citizen scrutineers of us all, I am sure that the Council can still improve transparency without going on a spending spree.
“No-one says dealing with the Labour Welsh Government’s choice to slash the local government budget is easy. It is doubly difficult when they denied councils the money they received as a consequence of England’s council tax freeze policy. But Swansea and Gower residents will have more sympathy if the Council made it clear that it understands value for money.”
