Given the comments made by Labour councillors in the Watford Observer of February 4, your readers may be surprised to learn that Labour did not vote against the council’s recent budget and did not propose a lower council tax increase.

Because of years of sound financial management, mayor Peter Taylor’s budget included a council tax increase of 1.5 per cent or 8p a week for a Band D property. In contrast the Conservative-run county council and Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner are proposing increases of 4 per cent and 4.7 per cent. It is expected that Watford’s council tax increase will be the lowest in the county for the second year in a row. When Labour were last in control in Watford, they put up council tax by 10 per cent and couldn’t even get the accounts approved for three years running.

The Liberal Democrats recognise that most households are struggling with increasing fuel and food bills and an inflation rate over 5 per cent. That is why our focus is on making sure residents get good value for money, keeping council tax rises to a minimum, and on key services so that our parks are even better, we tackle rough sleeping and make sure our streets are clean and tidy.

Once again most Labour councillors took the easy option of abstaining on the council budget vote. They offered no alternative vision for the town and had no ideas about how to keep council tax down. Why should voters trust them to run the council again if they can’t even decide if they are for or against the proposals of the current administration?

Cllr Peter Kloss

Vice-Chair, Watford Borough Council Finance Scrutiny Committee