Council tax freeze proposed by Conservatives
Average household set to save £139 under third year of freeze
Plans to freeze South Gloucestershire’s Council Tax for a third year running is being proposed by the authority’s Conservative councillors.
Under the plans, the average South Gloucestershire household will have saved £139 in cash terms following previous decisions to freeze council tax for last two years.
Conservative councillors have identified the £0.9m needed to freeze the council tax by freezing the council’s provision for inflation.
The council’s finance officers are budgeting for an inflation increase of 2 per cent (£1.1m), along with a 2 per cent council tax increase for the 2013/14 financial year.
Saving on inflation costs will bring the council’s need for council tax rise down to 1 per cent – allowing access to a government grant that brings the 1 per cent down to zero – a freeze in cash terms and a cut in real terms.
Cllr John Calway (Con, Longwell Green), Leader of the Conservative Group on the politically ‘hung’ council, said:
“Instead of protecting the council budget from rising inflation, we want to protect hardworking local households who are struggling with the rising cost of living and we believe that a third freeze in their council tax bills is the best way to achieve this.
South Gloucestershire’s part of the council tax is one household item that does not have to increase because of our plan to freeze it by freezing the council’s provision for inflation – it’s a straight forward swap.”
The Conservatives’ council tax freeze proposal will be considered at a meeting of the authority’s Policy and Resources Committee on Monday 11th February before a final decision is made by all councillors at a Full Council meeting on Wednesday 20th February.
A household council tax bill is made up of numerous ‘precepting authorities’, including town/parish councils, police and fire authority, as well as South Gloucestershire
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