RCC ‘should have stopped next year’s council tax rise’

Tuesday, 1 March 2022 11:32

At a Rutland County Council budget meeting last night, the next financial year’s council tax rise was approved at the maximum rate of 4.99%. Three councillors who voted against the rise say more should have been done to prevent this.

Rutland’s county council should have done more to stop a council tax rise in the coming year, say three councillors who voted against the rise last night. At its budget setting meeting, the majority of councillors approved the tax increase of 4.99% (the maximum allowed by government before a further public consultation is required). Three councillors, however, voted against the budget as well as the increase.

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Alan Walters said that at a time when households are struggling with bills and fearful of increases to come, it should have been a top priority of this council to put a halt to council tax rises. Instead of minimising costs and maximising revenues the portfolio holder announced that the budget had been set at the highest tax rise allowed, which Cllr Walters believes is completely the wrong way around. He went on to say that the budget included extra consultants being hired and new posts being created on the council; he called them truly astonishing decisions in the current climate, and he couldn’t support or defend them.

The county of Rutland currently has the third highest Band D council tax rate in the whole of the UK. While the average Band D council tax for England is £1898, Rutland’s is £2195. The borough of Westminster’s is £829. A full comparison of UK council taxes can be found at Council Tax Index 2021/22 - PropertyData