Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales is urging Welsh Government to introduce a more fairer way of funding local councils.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government has been urging the Welsh Labour Government to intervene after it was revealed that some councils in North Wales are considering eye watering Council Tax increases to help balance their books.
Opening a Welsh Conservative debate on local government funding in the Welsh Parliament, he said:
There is no getting away from the fact that this is a difficult time for public finances but we must always remember that local government funding is controlled by the Labour Welsh Government.
They have benefited this year from record levels of funding from a UK Conservative Government. How they then manage that money is entirely up to them. Unfortunately for local councils, Welsh Labour continue to use a local government funding formula that is fundamentally unfair.
We see councils in North Wales and rural areas punished, creating a winners and losers system. One example from my own region in the last financial year, Denbighshire council received £256 per head more than its neighbouring Conwy, which has very, very similar geography, demographics and local economy. It’s created a £20 million funding gap between the two local authorities—15% higher in one than the other. The funding formula needs wholesale reform.
It’s a fact that, in total, council tax in Wales has increased by over £900 per household, or around 200%per cent, since the Labour Government started here in this Welsh Senedd.
We are calling, and continue to call, on the Welsh Government to commission an independent review of the funding formula, to make sure that this disparity in levels of funding ceases to happen.
Some councils are having to consult now on council tax rises of up to 25% for next year—an eye-watering increase that would land at the door of our hard-working residents.
We believe that people deserve a greater say over these council tax hikes. We think that it is now time that any local authority proposing a council tax rise of over 5% should be required to hold a local referendum on that tax rise.
This Cardiff Government should be doing everything it can to create a fairer, more equitable system for local authorities, instead of the current mess that we're in here today.
Sam Rowlands AS yn galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i wneud popeth o fewn ei gallu i helpu cynghorau lleol sy’n brin o arian
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod Rhanbarthol o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru yn annog Llywodraeth Cymru i gyflwyno ffordd decach o ariannu cynghorau lleol.
Mae Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid dros Lywodraeth Leol i’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, wedi bod yn annog Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru i ymyrryd ar ôl clywed bod rhai cynghorau yng Ngogledd Cymru yn ystyried cynnydd aruthrol yn y Dreth Gyngor i helpu i fantoli eu cyfrifon.
Wrth agor dadl gan y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ar gyllid llywodraeth leol yn y Senedd, dywedodd:
Does dim dianc rhag y ffaith bod hwn yn gyfnod anodd i gyllid cyhoeddus ond mae'n rhaid i ni gofio bob amser mai Llywodraeth Lafur Cymru sy’n rheoli cyllid llywodraeth leol.
Maen nhw wedi elwa eleni ar y lefelau uchaf erioed o gyllid gan Lywodraeth Geidwadol y DU. Eu penderfyniad nhw’n llwyr yw sut maen nhw’n rheoli'r arian hwnnw. Yn anffodus i gynghorau lleol, mae Llafur Cymru yn parhau i ddefnyddio fformiwla ariannu ar gyfer llywodraeth leol sy'n sylfaenol annheg.
Rydyn ni'n gweld cynghorau yn y Gogledd ac ardaloedd gwledig yn cael eu cosbi, gyd rhai ar eu hennill ac eraill ar eu colled. Fel enghraifft o'm rhanbarth fy hun yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol ddiwethaf, derbyniodd Cyngor Sir Ddinbych £256 y pen yn fwy na Chonwy, sydd ddim ond dafliad carreg i ffwrdd, ardal sydd â daearyddiaeth, demograffeg ac economi leol debyg iawn, iawn. Mae hyn wedi creu bwlch ariannol o £20 miliwn rhwng y ddau awdurdod lleol—15% yn uwch mewn un na'r llall. Mae angen diwygio'r fformiwla ariannu yn llwyr.
Mae'n ffaith bod y dreth gyngor dros Gymru gyfan wedi cynyddu dros £900 yr aelwyd, neu tua 200%, ers i'r Llywodraeth Lafur ddechrau yn y Senedd hon yng Nghymru.
Rydyn ni’n galw, a byddwn yn parhau i alw, ar i Lywodraeth Cymru gomisiynu adolygiad annibynnol o'r fformiwla ariannu, er mwyn sicrhau bod y gwahaniaeth hwn mewn lefelau cyllid yn dod i ben.
Mae rhai cynghorau'n gorfod ymgynghori nawr ar godiadau treth gyngor o hyd at 25% ar gyfer y flwyddyn nesaf — byddai hwn yn gynnydd aruthrol i’n trigolion sy'n gweithio'n galed.
Credwn fod pobl yn haeddu cael dweud eu dweud am godiadau treth gyngor. Yn ein barn ni, mae’n bryd bellach i unrhyw awdurdod lleol sy'n cynnig codiad treth gyngor o dros 5%, orfod cynnal refferendwm lleol ar y codiad treth hwnnw.
Dylai'r Llywodraeth hon yng Nghaerdydd fod yn gwneud popeth o fewn ei gallu i greu system decach, fwy teg i awdurdodau lleol, yn lle'r llanast presennol rydyn ni ynddo heddiw.
