Council tax hike on the cards for East Hampshire
A TOWN hall is to defy the government by putting up council tax.
Leaders at East Hampshire District Council are proposing to increase the authority’s share of the tax by 2.5 per cent from April.
Neighbouring authorities in Havant and Chichester are poised to freeze council tax, accepting a ‘bonus’ from the government instead.
It comes as Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said councils have a ‘moral duty’ to sign up to the government’s council tax freeze incentive.
But Cllr Julie Butler, who oversees finances at East Hampshire, said a council tax rise is necessary to prevent cuts to frontline services. Some residents were unhappy about having to pay more.
Dave Woods, 46, of Drift Road, Clanfield, said: ‘While I can appreciate they have a deficit, that’s down to their expenditure, not ours.
‘This is a time when households are already under a lot of pressure financially.
‘They are not doing anything to help that.’
Dave Gorshkov, 55, of New Road, Lovedean, said: ‘They are increasing council tax when other councils are not. You have to ask the question why?’
For the average Band D property, the authority’s element of the council tax charge is set to increase from £131.33 to £134.61.
Leaders say they are proposing an increase as the government pay-out – of £160,000 for East Hampshire – is only for one year.
With no guarantee of another incentive next year, East Hampshire wanted to avoid a possible five per cent increase in 2013.
The 2.5 per cent rise equates to an additional income of £160,000.
Cllr Butler said: ‘We have only raised council tax once in the last five years.
‘We are quite a way behind a lot of other authorities that have already raised it year on year.
‘We did not want our frontline services to be affected.
‘In last year’s budget, our voluntary sector, things like the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, they all got hit hard. Doing what we are doing means we have not had to touch any of their grants this year.’
The authority will need to make savings of £1.1m over the next three years.
Cllr Butler added: ‘It’s never going to be an easy decision to make particularly when the climate at the moment is tough.’
Havant Borough Council is set to freeze its council tax for the fourth year running.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
VilleGrumpy
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 09:24 AMNot just Tories TaskForce but all local councils. Cut services and increase taxes at the drop of a hat but ask them to go without fancy bottled water and biscuits on the table for their meetings and they'll look at you in horror. As long as their cosy workplace and pension aren't affected then they couldn't care less.
clanfieldblue
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 05:27 PMTypical of public business - no accountability and always use the excuse that costs have to rise to protect services. Every private company I have worked for has worked hard to make cost reductions year on year and IMPROVE services to deliver profit to it's share holders. Shame that public servants seem to think they can simply 'give up' when things get too tough. Get real - cut your costs by being more efficient and improve services - it CAN be done !
TheDarkDeacon
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 12:54 AM@TaskForce Evidently £3.28 over 12 months is the end of the world as we know it!!! Perhaps the council can cancel the proposed raise in council tax and you can then post your complaints that the local services are getting worse. Unfortunately you cannot have your cake AND eat it. Class Guerrilla warfare anyone!?!
TaskForce
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 08:16 AMTypical Tory run council those snooty well off people at Penns Place Petersfield are all tories and don't give a damn about ordinary working class people pity they don't take a pay cut like l had to.
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