Lib Dem Budget Plan for Surrey

High Reserves.  There is enough money stashed away by the Conservative-run Surrey administration to freeze taxes and improve services for Surrey residents where there is a real need to do so. Essential services have been underfunded

• £6.5 million to improve the condition of Surrey's roads and footways as well as schemes to improve safety for all road users including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. The Conservative administration has made a big deal of the amount of money they plan to invest in Surrey's roads, without saying that £2.6 million of their plans in 2013/14 are from extra national government funding. Our plans are in addition to the extra money from the national government, making a total of £9.1 million extra for Surrey's roads and footways. Our budget plans include funding to tackle Surrey's massive backlog of investment in essential road resurfacing, tackle flooding on Surrey roads, extra grit bins and money to reduce speed limits including 20 mph zones without physical traffic calming.
• £400,000 extra support per year, plus £100,000 one off funding for 2013/14, for voluntary organisations that provide essential local services for Surrey residents. This money would restore the Conservative administration's £200,000 cut in 2012/13. On top of this we are proposing £200,000 to voluntary organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureaux to provide much needed debt advice for Surrey residents. The extra £100,000 for 2013/14 only is to help voluntary organisations provide advice to Surrey residents in a year of benefits changes.
• £800,000 to increase the opening hours of youth centres and to provide more detached youth work in local communities.
• £400,000 respite provision for children with disabilities to restore the Conservative administration's cut of £355,000 last year.
• £600,000 extra money for respite care for older people which is currently underfunded to the tune of £500,000. The further £100,000 will be used to meet growing demand for this service.