Leighton Andrews raised concerns over consistency in how local authorities deal with reserve money and suggested he would engage in dialogue with the Auditor General.
Total Welsh council reserves currently stand at approximately one billion pounds.
During a session of the National Assembly’s communities committee, the Labour minister also suggested all avenues of revenue raising should be considered by councils – including charging for services.
Earlier this week, Welsh Conservatives labelled the Labour government’s local authority settlement ‘tough and demanding’.
The party has long called for a council tax freeze in Wales, as there has been in England since 2010. This would have eased the pressure on hardworking families and facilitated the prevention of huge hikes in bills.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Local Government, Janet Finch-Saunders AM, said:
“Labour has held Welsh council purse strings since 1999.
“This minister’s concerns may be well placed – but if there is inconsistency, he needs look no further than his colleagues across the cabinet table.
“These worries should have been addressed.
“Many tens of millions have been spent on council chief execs who earn more than the prime minister in Wales and the opportunity to freeze council tax has been ignored; all while Labour has been calling the shots.
“Community services have got to come first and, as Labour ministers look at consistency in council reserves, they could begin with an apology for their past mistakes.”
Commenting on the suggestion from Labour’s Public Services Minister that charging for services should form part of councils’ search for revenue, Mrs Finch-Saunders said:
“We see absolutely no reason why the public should pay for past Labour mistakes and wastefulness.
“While there may be a case for collection charges for certain large items or garden waste, services such as libraries, refuse collection and parks should be free at the point of use.
“Under Labour, council tax has gone up by over 150 per cent and hard-pressed taxpayers are getting less but paying more.
“Efficiency must be prioritised – but services must remain free.”