Southend Council was plunged into crisis today as the Government ordered it to slash a further £2million from its budget.
The move will force the council to cut services to the bone and even includes predictions of a "whole range" of branch library closures across the town.
Southend is one of 17 councils which have received letters from ministers warning they will impose a limit on spending unless they cut proposed council tax rises to less than five per cent.
Even with £5million cuts at the moment, Southend's planned council tax increase would be about nine per cent to prop up spending on services next year.
Southend Lib Dem leader, Graham Longley, said: "The current proposals for cuts are tearing the heart out of Southend and any more would be cutting Southend off the map."
More in today's Echo
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