Council leaders have been accused of “putting off the fateful day” by taking extra government cash instead of making tough decisions.
The claim was made during a debate on West Norfolk Council’s plans to introduce its own council tax support scheme at a full council meeting on Thursday.
As previously reported, the council has drawn up its own council tax support programme ahead of the abolition of the current national scheme this spring.
Last month the council’s cabinet voted to accept an additional government grant of just over £28,000 for the coming financial year and hold off implementing the new scheme until 2014-15. A further £85,000 would be sourced from technical changes to the council tax system to meet the shortfall.
But Labour councillors accused the Conservative leadership of seeking to delay making difficult decisions.
Charles Joyce said: “This is just putting off the fateful day.”
But the council’s leader, Nick Daubney, said he was “staggered” by the suggestion.
He said: “I think it would be a crime if we were making the situation worse. We’re not.
“We have found a resource to continue with the status quo for the present and I believe that is the right thing to do for our residents.”
Plans to slash council tax subsidies for empty properties and second homes were also passed.
And Mr Daubney also accused his opponents of showing “total financial ineptitude” after Labour’s John Collop questioned whether the council should be selling off lands in the light of the cabinet’s decision to delay several capital projects in the borough over the coming years.
He asked: “What would be the point of purchasing land and doing nothing with it?”
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