Cotswold District Council approves £5 council tax rise
The increase in council tax will see band D properties pay £148.93 each year to the district council.
Last updated 16th Feb 2023
Cotswold residents will be asked to pay more in council tax from April for bin collections, planning and licensing services.
Councillors approved last night (February 15) Cotswold District Council’s budget for the upcoming financial year.
The increase in council tax will see band D properties pay £148.93 each year to the district council – this equates to a year-on-year rise of £5.
The final full council tax bill will be much higher as it will also include police, county council and parish council costs.
Council chiefs warned in the autumn that the authority is facing a potential funding deficit of almost £2m in the over the coming years.
But in the latest report finance officers say they are forecasting the budget gap to increase from £860,000 next year to over £3 million in 2026/27.
Finance and cabinet member Mike Evemy (LD, Siddington and Cerney Rural) said it’s the first budget he has proposed which will require using council reserves, some £860,000.
“This is not a step I take lightly as I recognise sustainable and prudent financial management requires the council to balance its expenditure and income.
“But this has been an exceptional year and it has been extremely difficult to prepare a budget due to the impact of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, months long instability and uncertainty and chaos in Westminster and the disastrous mini budget in September.”
Conservative deputy leader Sue Jepson (C, Blockley) said her group would vote against the “not fit for purpose” budget.
She said: “After three and a half years plus, we are here yet again and have been asked to approve a budget that is not fit for purpose.
“An administration that keeps on putting this council and its taxpayers into debt borrowing for unnecessary vanity projects and cutting out democracy. We will not put any amendments to this so-called budget.
“All the tweaking in the world would not sort it. When this administration came in, you took over a debt free, no borrowing, well run council.”
Cllr Evemy defended the budget and said it was “good and prudent”. He asked all councillors to support it.
He said the Tories seemed to want council services but don’t want to ask people to pay for them.
“I do accept the council was debt free but it’s because they sold the council houses and gradually ran the money down. I don’t agree it was a well run council.
“When I arrived here there was an awful amount of work that had to be done by us to rectify things that we found when we took over.
“It’s up to the electorate on May 4 to determine who they wish to sit in this chamber and whether they wish to have a majority from our side or her side or anyone else.”
The budget and council tax increase was approved by 18 votes to nine.
Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent councillors voted in favour while the Conservatives all voted against.