Opposition parties slam North Lanarkshire Council Labour administration over budget

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The North Lanarkshire Council Labour administration has been accused of "poor decision making" and a "way over-the-top" 10 per cent council tax increase as opposition parties react to the local authority's budget.SNP group leader Tracy Carragher said there had been a "complete lack" of income maximisation due to the historically low levels of council tax.She also slammed the current and previous Labour administrations for the "staggering" impact of private finance initiative (PFI) projects which she says are costing tens of millions annually, and which she said had "cast a shadow" over North Lanarkshire for decades.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Councillor Carragher said: "The budget has been balanced on the back of cuts whilst ignoring income maximisation until now where we have been left with no choice but to play catch-up in terms of council tax."Historic decisions, had they been more balanced, would have meant a potentially cumulative effect of tens of millions of pounds of extra funding available to this council to protect the services that we provide."Councillor Carragher also highlighted increased employer National Insurance contributions, which will cost the council more than £11 million annually, saying that the UK's Labour Government did not fully understand the impact this would have