Calls for freeze on council tax rises
Tuesday 27th January 2009, 3:30PM GMT.
Everything possible should be done to halt council tax increases for residents in the Shrewsbury area, the council’s leader has said.
Councillor Peter Nutting said residents paying higher council taxes in other parts of the county should see their bills reduced until everybody is paying an equal rate – rather than those in cheaper areas being expected to pay more.
Councillor Nutting made the comments at a meeting of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council’s cabinet last night as councillors decided their response to Shropshire Council over its proposed budget.
Shrewsbury and Atcham residents living in an average Band D property are projected to see a rise of £14.83 over the next financial year in council tax – but in the Oswestry and South Shropshire areas there is not expected to be a rise.
Bridgnorth residents could face a 3.5 per cent rise over the same period
But Councillor Nutting, leader of SABC, said: “I still think as a council what we should be saying to the new Shropshire Council is that we believe, particularly in the present financial circumstances, everything possible should be done to equalise council tax down.
“Then we would be looking for a zero per cent tax increase for Shrewsbury and Atcham next year.”
Cabinet members backed the move as a consultee and also agreed to write to the district auditor to ensure that the allocation of costs of the move to the new unitary council are clearly stated.
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Hear hear, council tax is a massive burden on people – a council tax holiday for 2009 could stave off recession, its such an unjust regressive tax and it really hurts us all
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How does Councillor Nutting propose to reduce people’s tax bills, the only way that I can see that is to cut services or use reserves.
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“….residents paying higher council taxes in other parts of the county should see their bills reduced….” Get real, this is public spending being talked about here. I can just see councils agreeing to a tax freeze – not! More realistic to say that everybody will be paying more and more in the future, with those in the cheaper areas rising at disproportionately higher percentages to meet the levels of those more expensive areas. Believe me, it will never be the other way around.
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why not use reserves to help the people through the recession with a one off tax holiday
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definately any such policy would attract my votess, why are shrewsbury folk being penalised for years of prudence to pay for people in the rest of the county its not morally right at all
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Government grants for the next two years are going to be paired to the bone,they have already said that. I shudder to think what services would have to be cut if the tax is frozen or even raised only a minute % in addition to that bleak fact. Albeit, it would be nice if they could but as Rodney say’s, it is not going to happen.
A cut in services as a result of reduced Council Tax is not exactly what this Government wants, it will show the electorate that this current crisis is really at the door and it will just compound the problems we already face on an individual and family basis.
It will be interesting to see if any pointers come from that little ball of fire and spin, Hazel Blears, the opportunist Minister for Communities. Then again, Council Tax this time around is such a hot potato I would think Westminster will “duck for cover” every time it is mentioned.
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please please please help us through this recession with lower council tax, its really hurting us
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There should be no council tax increase, as we are all having to tighten our belts. We are actually paying for all the perks the council workers get – ie. fantastic pension, sick pay, jollies off abroad to see how so and so does something or other – stop this immediately, also why advertise everywhere? Vehicles do not need to be liveried – this in itself would save thousands of pounds. Also, why do the offices need expensive furnishings, leather sofas, and so hot..Turn that thermostats down!
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i agree zero rise for the next few years is a minimum acceptable level, it should go down if they really want to help people
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if you get dave C in we’ll keep council tax zero forever, its only the socialist do gooders who keeping putting it up to spend on wasteful projects in the ghettos and yet more middle management, we need to axe the beurocrat and the EU and cut taxes now
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completely agree with the councillor on this
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Can anyone answer how much of our council tax is actually going to fund the extravagant pensions for council workers? They get to retire early with nice fat finsl salary pension cheques paid for by us when there is virtually no-one left in the ‘real world’ with those benefits any more…. why are we putting up with it?
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Whilst it would be nice to see council tax kept down to a minimum, it’s inevitable that there will be increased demand on public services during the current recession – so the costs may go up.
But I think the council needs to take a close look at ‘discretionary’ expenditure – my suggestion would be to cut any proposal that has the words ‘traffic lights’ and ’roundabout’ in the same sentence.
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‘Idon’tbelieveit’
There are still plenty of private companies offering final salary pension schemes. Most public servants are on quite low pay, and pay rises through thwe ‘boom’ times are always held down – with the pension usually quoted as the excuse.
If you don’t like your situation, and assuming you have the necessary skills/qualifications – why not apply to join?
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See this link http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/counciltax.nsf/viewAttachments/HJOS-7N8J94/$file/council-tax-leaflet-2008.pdf
tells you where it all goes mate, mainly on running schools
ironically with your comments the next biggest chunk is helping pensioners, guess what they cant afford to help themselves because they have a lousy pension…. Maybe generous pensions is a good investment after all?
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i blame the government and the EU for all the council tax rises, remember labour isnt working its time for a change, yes we can cut council tax, yes we can get less regulation, yes we can ban political correctness, yes we can go back to good old fashioned 1950s values, like hard work and tough love, yes we can, yes we can, get rid of clown brown
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Eh! Tory Boy, I can understand almost everything you are saying but what’s this thing “tough love” in the 1950s, was that a “value”. Love was so tough for me in the 1950s doing my National Service on 29/- a week, I couldn’t get any love, tough or otherwise to value. The girl I took a shine to didn’t like “squaddies” and when I was no longer a squaddie she was married and didn’t like anyone who wasn’t a squaddie. That was her excuse anyway for telling me to take a running jump. Ye! times were tough. God forbid we go back to them.
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i would vote for anyone who can cut council tax right now, most services are only used by the poor and elderly, lets all be more self reliant and pay less tax please
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