Rutland Council set to meet on proposed 5% council tax rise for 2023/34
It comes less than 12 months since the last council tax hike
Rutland County Council will move forwards with their 2023/24 draft budget today, which could see residents pay almost 5% more council tax.
A cabinet meeting is being held to review the proposals in the draft budget and, if approved, a public consultation will follow.
The proposal comes less than 12 months since Rutland County Council's last council tax hike of 4.99% - the maximum increase allowed per year.
The prosed council tax jump for the 2023/24 budget would be made up of a 2.99% increase in council tax, plus a 2% increase in the adult social care levy.
If approved, the average increase in Council Tax for a Band D property in Rutland would be just under £8 per month.
Rutland County Council said an extra £33k of Council Tax Support would be made available to help anyone on a low income..
Council leader Cllr Lucy Stephenson (Con) said: “This is an incredibly difficult budget to set as there are so many uncertainties, global finances are challenging everybody right now.
“We put our financial sustainability plan in place for that very reason, so that Rutland council is financially sustainable going forward, responsible and looking to the future – so, yes, we are using some reserves to balance the budget, but it is not just a knee-jerk reaction to the current crisis, it is part of a considered, longer term plan towards sustainability, so that we end up with a council that’s fit for purpose.
“I do think that we are a fiscally responsible council, and that we are keeping an eye on the future. I also know there are a lot of council’s around us who are not in as healthy a position as we are, having had government intervention or section 114 orders placed on them which restrict financial control. Some are facing bankruptcy, and we are determined that will not happen to Rutland County Council.”
Portfolio holder for finance, governance and performance, change and transformation, Cllr Karen Payne (Con) said:
One of the biggest issues the council is facing is the costs of delivering adult care cervices in Rutland, as we have an increasing ageing population; so, for example, a bed in 2022 cost £535 per week, whereas that same bed in 2023 now costs £800-900 per week.
“The 2% additional levy that we’re charging will not actually cover the increase in costs the council are going to incur, and the shortfall is going to be in the region of £750,000 in 2023/24. These are increases that have been incurred by the adult health care providers, who are now passing those on to the council, which leaves us in a very challenging situation, as you can see.
The final budget will be approved at a special budget meeting of the full council on Monday, February 27.