NOBODY goes in to politics to push through a budget that raises the council Tax by 9.5 per cent and cuts services back to the bone.

But that is the situation Powys County Councillors found themselves in at their last Full Council meeting.

Councillors from the ruling Independent/Conservative Cabinet and group called for pragmatism, by voting in favour of the budget which had been deemed “robust” and “balanced”.

At the highly charged meeting, Adult Services portfolio holder, Cllr Stephen Hayes (Independent – Montgomery), said: “It’s very clear that this is an unpalatable budget.

“It’s been said (by opposition) that there are many in the administration groups, the Independent and Conservatives, who are very uncomfortable about this.

“Of course there are, why wouldn’t there be?

“None of us came into politics, into local government to propose a budget of this sort in the county we serve.

“Whichever groups would be holding the balance of power would be facing the same problems and the room to manoeuvre is very small.

Cllr Hayes suggested that voting against the budget came from anger and that it was instinctive to want to send a message to the Welsh Government and Westminster that funding was inadequate.

Or tell voters that back in their wards that they voted against such a huge Council Tax rise.

Cllr Hayes added: “I would like to send a different message particularly to Cardiff as we have been under the spotlight so much in the last couple of years.”

Cllr Hayes said that the “calibre of candidate” interviewed for senior roles at showed that council “stock was rising”.

“The message I want to give is that we are up to the task of securing services, and then of changing the council to make it one that can live within its budget.

“There will be a lot of people who say, don’t vote for this budget, but there is no magic budget to come out of the cupboard if this one is voted down.”

Deputy Chief Executive and s151 officer, David Powell, pointed out that there could be alternatives proposed for the budget, and stressed that they would need to be able to fit in to the proposal as it was “balanced.”

Mr Powell said: “We cannot sign off a budget which is out of balance.”

“The reserves are adequate and the budget is robust, that is what I’m legally required to say.”

However due to the gravity of this year’s  budget, Mr Powell wanted to explain in greater detail.

“We started with a significant gap in excess of £17 million and we got it to a position where we have signed it off as robust.

“I wanted to draw your attention to what I think is the most significant risk to the council and that is the potential financial exposure around Social Services.

“The point I’m trying to emphasise, in what we are trying to do to improve Social Services, put them on a sound financial budget and the reserves.

“The reserves are crucial, we have a scenario where Social Services have a pressure of up to £8 million or possibly £3 million, mitigation is taking place in the department but we have to cover those potential issues.

“This budget does that in its construction.”

But the pleas fell on deaf ears.

Councillors,  many from the ruling Independent/Tory group, voted by a wafer thin majority against the budget.