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Council tax will increase
February 09, 2010
The “fat has already been trimmed” from services in Bracknell, meaning a rise in council tax can be expected.
Cllr Paul Bettison, leader of Bracknell Forest Council, said there was no possibility council tax would go anywhere other than up when it is announced in March.
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead announced it was making a four per cent cut in the tax last week, but there is no chance of that happening in Bracknell.
The council has been heavily hit by the recession and is having to cut services and staff to try to meet a funding shortfall of £3.6 million
Cllr Bettison congratulated his fellow Tories in the Royal Borough for their achievement, but said the cloth had already been cut in Bracknell.
He said: “It’s very admirable what they have done in Windsor, however they only came to power in 2007.
“We have been in power for 13 years now and the fat has already been trimmed.”
At Bracknell, around 60 positions are going and the council is also proposing cuts to library hours and leisure centre times as other measures to save cash.
The council has been hit by a drop in revenue from its services including car parks and leisure because of the recession.
Cllr Bettison added: “It’s extremely difficult, we’re a doing our very best to keep council tax as low as we can, but there won’t be a cut.
“We have a £3.6 million shortfall and our Government grant this year has increased by only 1.5 per cent, which is £386,000.
“So the Government, which has got us into this horrible financial mess, is not doing us any favours to help us get out of it.
“We are already losing staff to keep overheads down and are working very, very hard to keep any increases to a minimum.”
The council’s budget has been criticised by local Liberal Democrats.
Ray Earwicker, the party’s Bracknell prospective Parliamentary candidate, said: “There was little doubt the council had more of a problem this year in achieving a balanced budget but the problems are largely of its own making.
“Each year the council grew larger and had relied on above inflation increases in council tax to get it out of jail.
“This year staff were asked to bear the brunt of the council’s bungled investments and its failure to live within its means.”
The Royal Borough claims its cut will be the biggest in the country, beating the three per cent announced in Hammersmith and Fulham.
Leader Cllr David Burbage said: “We promised quality services and value for money – and there is no better way of deliver on that promise than this.”
Crowthorne Parish Council has confirmed that its precept will also have to go up this year, with Sandhurst Town Council set to make an announcement in the coming weeks.
Crowthorne Parish Council has raised its precept by 2.4 per cent this year – £3.69 for a Band D property.
The raise reflects a forecast reduction in the council’s reserves at the end of the financial year in March.
Cllr Richard Price said: “The numbers we are dealing with are very tight.”
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I already thought our council tax was stupidly high last year, so I'm terrified to think what it will be this year - especially considering most workers have had pay freezes.
9/02/2010 at 12:15 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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9/02/2010 at 10:31 Offensive or Inappropriate?
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