Buckinghamshire Council announces 5% tax hike
High inflation and pressures on the health service are listed as key reasons for the rise
Buckinghamshire residents can expect to see their bills go up from the Spring - with council tax set for a rise of ÂŁ1.61 per week for the average home.
Officials say both national and international events impact what we pay, with high inflation caused by the war in Ukraine cited as a key factor.
Extra demands on the council’s services are adding an extra £63 million in costs for next year before a penny of next year’s budget is even spent.
It means the council is proposing a 2.99% rise in the base rate of council tax. This is set against an increase in inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index of over 10%.
It's also planning to take up the Government’s proposal for a Social Care Precept of 2%, meaning a total rise of 4.99% in bills.
The budget proposals also outline which areas the council is allocating funding for – and how much, after nearly 2,000 residents fed in their views on the budget plans. This includes:
• More than £125 million fixing and maintaining roads
• Nearly £143 million for schools improvements
• £20 million on housing and tackling homelessness
• More than £14 million to tackle Climate Change and prevent flooding
• Investing more than £20 million in our waste and recycling facilities
Details of the scrutiny meetings and how to view them are available at the council’s online meetings calendar – if you want a question asked during this process, you can submit them to: budget.scrutiny@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Following the scrutiny process, the final budget will be agreed during February, ready to implement on 1 April 2023.