A twenty per cent increase in council tax or services slashed to the bone - it's your choice.
A borough-wide referendum will give residents the stark choice of council tax rises or significant cuts in services, including those supporting vulnerable children.
Tory council leader Howard Briggs said: "We have had a chance to study the grant figures from the Government and the situation is as bad as we believed it was.
"All our grant increase is for education and although this is an extremely important issue, we have other major priorities, especially as far as social services are concerned."
Mr Briggs said the council was demanding talks with local government minister Nick Raynsford.
Figures by borough treasurer David Andrews show that to maintain services at the current level would need an increase in council tax of more than 20 per cent.
Published Tuesday November 25, 2003
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