TORY council leader, Louise McKinlay, has hit back at her political rivals, claiming they failed to offer up any "credible alternatives" to her three-year cost saving plan.
In the aftermath of last night's Town Hall budget debate, Mrs McKinlay was a target of opprobrium from all three rival party leaders.
She responded to Labour councillor Mike Le-Surf's jibe that her new financial plan for Brentwood was "dangerous", by claiming that he didn't even bother offering an alternative.
And speaking on the Liberal Democrat's notion to raise council tax by 1.98 per cent to fund a new crime fighting effort in the borough, tabled and rejected last night, Mrs McKinlay said: "It was the first time we have seen anything costed from them so they're running in the right direction, but what they have put up is just the same old lazy politics of falling back on increasing council tax.
"Rather than taking tough decisions on the budget as a whole they just revert to old Lib Dem ways."
She also lashed out the borough's newest political party, Brentwood First, after their leader Cllr William Lloyd insisted earlier today (Wednesday), that Mrs McKinlay's financial plan was a "backwards budget" and the Tory administriation is "in the mire".
She said: "Brentwood First have had ten and days, and I suspect a lot longer, to discuss what they wanted to propose and 75 per cent of it would have made for an illegal budget.
"They've been together for ten days and more and haven't even taken the time to speak to the 151 officer to see if what they are proposing could actually be put forward.
"They are just chasing the next headline, so the question has to be, are they really putting Brentwood first?"
"What all three opposition parties have failed to do is give us alternatives around how they would tackle the budget for the next years and they have failed to offer any credible alternatives that we can take seriously."
Under Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 every local authority is required to make arrangements for the proper administration of their financial affairs and requires one officer to be nominated to take responsibility for the administration of those affairs.
For the reaction from opposition members, click the link below.
http://www.thisistotalessex.co.uk/Rivals-slam-Brentwood-Council-Leader-s-dangerous/story-18136257-detail/story.html#axzz2KhNo8q2b