Today, councillors of all parties meet to set Brighton and Hove City Council’s budget.
Our meeting happens as councils around the country have had 60p of every £1 axed as a direct result of central government cuts.
Against this backdrop, this year the Labour council are proposing to make over £9 million “savings” to city services, including cuts to learning disability services, short breaks for carers, community and voluntary group funding and schools.
Yet these services are needed more than ever: they prevent more complex and costly problems emerging in the future.
Green councillors are only granted limited scope to amend the budget but we have tried to change it for the better and put our communities first.
Our amendments reduce – and in most cases, completely reverse – damaging cuts.
We’ll bring over £11 million into the budget and create 19 jobs, not cut services.
Our proposals to increase the cost of controlled parking zone permits and high-emission vehicles will not apply to benefit recipients, protecting the poorest households.
We’ll bring down the cost of traders permits, helping to support small businesses.
We’ll raise money through tackling traffic offences and irresponsible driving in bus lanes.
We will address the impact that the climate emergency and housing crisis will have on our residents.
We will not cut from one council service to pay for another.
You can read our proposals for yourself: http://bit.ly/GreenProposals2020.
We must improve the budget so that our city can meet the challenges ahead – and protect the most vulnerable from the brunt of cuts.
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty is the Green opposition leader on Brighton and Hove City Council.
