Conservatives Max Out Council Tax
March 3, 2009 8:31 PM
Originally published by Bracknell Liberal Democrats
Originally published by Bracknell Liberal Democrats
Conservative councillors on Bracknell Forest Borough Council have voted to approve a council tax increase of 4.9% for the coming year.
The approved increase is one of the highest in the country and nearly twice the national average. The increase flies in the face of National Conservative Party policy, which is supposedly aimed at freezing council tax and shows a total disregard for the interests of local council taxpayers who are struggling to cope with the effects of the recession.
Claims that the council still has one of the lowest council taxes of any unitary authority in the country ring a little hollow, following the string of such increases council taxpayers have had to endure in recent years. The difference with other unitary authorities is at best marginal and it has only been achieved by the council spending less than it should on a wide range of front-line services and facilities.
The almost total lack of transparency in council spending makes it difficult to establish precisely how much is being spent on individual services but the evidence is mounting that much of the increase is once again being used to support growing administrative and staff costs. Staff numbers, in particular, have continued to rise and agency/consultancy costs now equate to almost 20% of all the council tax collected.