Brighton and Hove councillors failed to agree on the council’s budget last night, over proposals to hold a referendum on increasing council tax.
The Green Party had proposed raising council tax by 4.75% saying it would fund social care services. However, Labour and Conservative councillors had voted against the rise saying the Green’s budget was a ‘political’ one.
In a statement, green councillors said: ‘We recognise and appreciate that there were productive negotiations in the adjournment this evening, but they weren’t enough. We believe the people of the city should have their say in whether to help protect social care services with a referendum.
‘Green councillors will not let a budget be imposed on this city by the government, so we are committed to working with all parties to agree the best budget possible for our residents.’
Labour leader, Cllr Warren Morgan said before the meeting: 'The Green Budget is a political one, we will stop their costly council tax referendum and block the unaffordable increase, using the money instead to reverse cuts to social care and maintain services – like park cleaning at weekends – that the Greens have said they will cut. Our focus is on people not politics.’
The council must agree a budget by 11 March or risk government intervention.
