A ROW broke out about taking the equivalent of the price of a half pint of bitter from Council Tax payers over the course of a year.

The ruling Conservative group on the Forest Council presented a budget that would put two per cent on the Council Tax – £3.31 – on an average Band D property.

But Labour argued that the council should take up the government’s offer to levy a fiver which would add an extra £47,500 to the coffers of the authority which is responsible for services such as recycling, housing and planning.

That would be an extra £1.69 a year at Band D and would mean an increase of three per cent.

The Conservatives also proposed to take money from reserves to help balance the budget.

Cllr Bruce Hogan (Lab, Lydbrook and Ruardean) said: “When you go through the budget papers you see all sorts of red and amber lights warning of future uncertainty and to rely on the future deficit reserves to nearly 40 per cent in one year is, in my mind, reckless.

“We are making draws on reserves we don’t have to for the sake of £1.69 per household per year – half a pint of bitter down your local

“It’s a reckless budget, it is show-boating. We are allowed the £5, we should go for the £5.”

But leader of the council, Cllr Patrick Molyneux (Con, Wool­aston and Hewelsfield) said that exposed the difference the between the “take what we need” approach of the Tories and “tax to the max” of Labour.

He said: “We have a clear choice, a philosophical choice.

“If you want the council to tax the community as much as it possibly can re­gardless of whether it needs to or not, then support Labour.

“If you want a council run efficiently and you only want to be taxed what we need to deliver first class services, then support the Conser­vatives.

“We had the opportunity to raise Council Tax by £5 – it doesn’t sound like much but it is the principle.

“Every year increases on that one per cent.

“Next year we’d have a similar option – that would be two per cent above what’s needed. That’s £100,000, in two years you’ve taken.

“Very soon we’re taking £100,000s out of the community pocket because we are saying we can spend it better than them. Absolutely not. Let the community decide how they spend their money. 

“Don’t fall into the trap of it’s only a few quid. This is the idea of tax, tax, tax and let’s not worry about the consequences.”

Cllr Hogan dismissed that as “a caricature” of Labour’s position, but the two per cent increase was approved.