The response to this petition was in no way a surprise. We share the anger and frustration of residents at the proposed council tax rise. It is not something that we want to do but it is still the best of the options available to us.
This council has a legal duty to produce a balanced budget. We cannot balance the budget on a desire for extra funding that we have no reasonable prospect of securing.
The additional measures we have put in place in terms of changes to Council Tax support bands as well as the establishment of an additional £2m council tax hardship fund will allow us to mitigate impact for our most vulnerable residents but there is no viable alternative on the table for us to adopt.
Croydon residents shouldn’t be having to foot the bill for the previous administrations maladministration but this one off rise is part of the solution. As much as I can offer you tonight is to say that we will take every step we can to ensure that those who created this mess are held to account.
