by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Council tax for Dorset residents will rise by just under 5% from April – with even the smallest properties facing bills of around £2,000 a year.
The Lib Dem administration claim the money the budget brings will protect core services and result in a more efficient, future-proof authority.
Council leader Nick Ireland pledged that despite the financial constraints capital investment would be found for projects to help areas hit by repeated flooding and provide practical support as communities recover from the floods.
Cllr Ireland said the authority would also look at joining the regional flood authority with neighbouring councils, which has been rejected by the previous, Conservative, administration.
“It will allow better working across boundaries and access to funding. Our rivers and streams do not stop at the border,” he said.
The budget debate saw, predictable, complaints from the opposition Conservative group; Cllr Noc Lacey-Clarke (Blandford) saying he worried about what he described as a “massive reduction” in the council workforce and what he saw as a failure to grasp the nettle of transforming the council to new ways of working.
Littlemoor and Preston councillor Louie O’Leary accused the Lib Dems of hypocrisy – doing some of the things the party used to criticise his group for when they were in power, although he conceded that every budget is hamstrung by central government.
Marshwood Vale councillor Simon Christopher warned of the likely impacts by possible job losses at Leonardo’s, in Yeovil, and the need to prepare for that with the business employing many Dorset residents and local firms supplying the helicopter company.
But there was also praise for the budget proposals.
Charmouth and Lyme Regis councillor Belinda Bawden from the Green Party said she was proud of the work the council was doing towards climate change, making it one of the top performers in the country alongside Cornwall and Wiltshire.
“We can look forward to cleaner, healthier, more connected futures … I am happy to support the budget and welcome the announcement of investment in flood resilience,” she said.
Weymouth, Radipole councillor Matt Bell, Radipole said he believed the budget would deliver real improvements across Dorset.
“This is a responsible forward-looking budget that protects services today whilst preparing Dorset for the future with a clear focus on economic, social and environmental sustainability… this presents strides forward for this county,” he said.
Cllr Beryl Ezzard, (Wareham) described what she believed was a resilient and balanced budget. She said it was the best she had ever seen.
Council leader Nick Ireland said the reality was that the Government continued to under-fund the county leaving Dorset Council with no choice but to impose a council tax increase of just under 5%.
He said had the previous administration raised council tax previously to the maximum the authority would now be £40million better off.
At the vote 46 councillors approved the budget, 24 against, with one abstention.
