Council tax to be frozen for fourth year in a row
NOTTS County Council is set to announce it will freeze council tax for the fourth consecutive year at its budget meeting tomorrow.
The decision means, for example, that the bill for Band D householders will stay at £1,193.18 for the next financial year.
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By choosing to freeze council tax the county council will be rewarded by the Government with one per cent of the frozen tax amount – which will work out at £3.1 million a year.
Councillor Reg Adair said: "This will be a major benefit to people up and down Nottinghamshire.
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"We will also get more than £3 million from the Government for doing so – but it is something we would have done anyway before the incentive."
The budget discussed tomorrow will reveal that a £132 million shortfall is forecast for the council over the next four years.
However Councillor Adair said: "When we started four years ago after the last election we had a £180 million shortfall. This is a forecast and we have put expenditure in there that might not happen.
"We will have to save that money out of the back room to continue to fund front-line services. It is a challenge but we are confident and have shown we can do it with how we dealt with the previous shortfall."
Councillor Adair added that the council's budget for this year was aimed at maintaining front-line services.
He said: "We are spending more money on children and young people.
"We are keeping our libraries open and extending our youth services.
"For example, West Bridgford library and young people's centre has had a £5.3 million refurbishment and is set to reopen on March 16.
"We've also pledged another million pounds to deal with potholes and are taking more vulnerable children into care.
"There is something in this budget for everyone."
The proposals also include £700,000 of extra funding to build on the £1 million the council previously allocated to its Olympic and Paralympic legacy programme of grants for local sports clubs.
It is also set to spend £250,000 each year until 2016-17 to install solar panels on the roof of County Hall.
And it plans to set aside £300,000 to carry out "essential improvements" to railways across the county over the next three years, as well as up to £500,000 to join up existing off-road cycle routes and bridleways across the county.
The budget will be discussed at a full council meeting from 10am tomorrow at County Hall.
7 Comments
by wortho48
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 2:48PM
“No fear of Nottingham City Council freezing the council tax we have all got to pay for their silly train set and all of their other silly ideas whether we cannot afford to pay this outrages tax or not . Nottingham City Council should be renamed The Gimme Gimme Council .”
by SteveBasford
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 2:47PM
“..pales into insignificance. 1% on £1k is ****** all compared to 3% (inflation) on the, whatever, £15k per year you spend on stuff?”
by EggyEggCup
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 2:32PM
“"You are on to a loser their (sic), Tony: FormerlyW has a completely irrational love for the City Council, so has no interest at all in a measured discussion of its strengths and failings."”
by mof_gedling
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 2:27PM
“you could say that raising council tax in a non affluent area is just as barmy.”
by FormerlyW
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 12:31PM
“You are on to a loser their, Tony: harrystotle has a completely irrational hatred for the City Council, so has no interest at all in a measured discussion of its strengths and failings.”
by Tony_Bartello
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 12:23PM
“Harrystottle1 - Its general Tory Policy to either cut or freeze taxes in lovely areas like West Bridgford in order to keep the voters happy. Never mind about all the job cuts made at County Hall. . . . come on man, get with it. They did it in the 80's and the 90's too.
I live in the city and am certainly not a big earner, rising council taxes (by a very small margin) are the least of my concerns. Fuel and food prices brought on by the selfish greedy way that the planet is being run is a little more important than a few quid on council tax.
I hasten to add, I am not a labour voter so am not definding Collins, in fact I dont think he is a very good leader, but applauding a the County council for freezing council tax to help their voters in an affluent area it totally barmy. . . . . think on.”
by harrystotle1
Wednesday, February 27 2013, 9:17AM
“Meanwhile in the City, Jon Collins and Graham Chapman have chosen to increase council tax yet again and will continue to make things ever tougher for the hard pressed people of Nottingham that have to pay for their financially incontinent regime.
It was no surprise that the City Council made sure that the Nottingham Arrow informing people of the meetings where councillors would defend this increase was distributed AFTER the meetings had been held.”