3.5% council tax rises on the cards in some areas

The news made me dig out rises in Staffordshire over the last decade - which would you prefer… 70% or 2% ?

The Government were hoping for council tax freezes across the country this year following their somewhat definitive announcement last year.

Problem with that announcement is that it was aspirational, not definitive, because it is up to local areas what they do. And quite right too in my view because I’m a strong believer in local democracy, local decisions and people making their views known via the local ballot box.

There was an incentive announced by Government pre Christmas in the form of a grant which would allow a maximum 2.5% increase by a council to be covered from the grant meaning a zero rise on council tax bills.

But the complication is that the one off grant has been done in a way which means it becomes more expensive year on year for councils that do that. In short, if an Authority isn’t efficient by default and can’t afford it practically, even the incentive doesn’t make it viable… hence a mixed picture in take up.

In Staffordshire we started working on the big changes needed to reduce the core costs of the County Council immediately we came to office in 2009. It means we aren’t reliant on Government help to keep a lid on council tax here and it also means we haven’t arbitrarily cut front line services.

During our 4 year term in office, all but the first year are a freeze on the County Council’s part of the council tax bill (which is the vast majority). That first year we set a 1.9% rise as the reforms we had started hadn’t yet resulted in the lower core costs that are now in place. Even that 1.9% was one of the lowest in the country.

But the stark difference in the approach politically to council tax levels can be seen in the table above. It shows the last decade of Labour’s unbroken 28 years running Staffordshire County Council saw council tax levels an average of 14 times higher year on year than Conservative’s current four year term.

And the previous 18 years of County Labour were a similar picture. Our philosophy is to take in council tax as little as is needed and not as much as is possible which has been Labour’s approach.

Labour controlled Stoke on Trent City Council are the latest Authority to announce a 3.5% rise in the council tax people will pay this year. Districts and Boroughs in Staffordshire will make known their council tax levels shortly.

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