Russell George has reacted with disappointment that Powys County Council has again received a poor financial settlement from the Welsh Government, a coalition led by the Labour Party and also comprising the Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Brecon & Radnorshire.
Commenting on the release of the provisional local government settlement, Russell George, the AM for Montgomeryshire, said:
“For a decade, Powys County Council has received one of the worst financial settlements from the Welsh Government.
“I was disappointed that despite the Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Brecon & Radnorshire, Kirsty Williams, now being part of the Welsh Government and having a seat at the cabinet table, Powys yet again receives the joint worst financial settlement of all local authorities in Wales. This is in spite of a £370 million increase in the Welsh Government’s allocation from the UK Government over the next four years.
“Communities from across Mid Wales will feel aggrieved and let down by the failure of the Labour-Liberal Democrat Welsh Government.
“Powys has borne the brunt of severe cuts to the local government budget over the last decade and while the severity of the cuts may have been somewhat halted, this remains a difficult settlement for Powys. The proposed 0.5% cut will once again require some challenging decisions that will compromise vital public services.
“As a Mid-Wales Assembly Member, I will be voting against this settlement as Powys Council has been among the hardest hit yet again. There is currently huge concern for the future of our day centres and libraries, and residents across Powys will rightly question why other AMs representing Mid Wales would support such a poor deal for Powys.”