East Sussex: Councillors agree tax increase
Council tax bills will increase again in April
East Sussex council tax bills will increase again in April, after county councillors agreed their annual budget for the coming financial year.
East Sussex County Council agreed its annual budget for 2024/25 on Tuesday 6th February, with proposals including a 4.99 per cent increase in council tax.
This increase, which includes a special charge for adult social services, will see an average band D household pay the county council £1,778.31 next year — £84.51 more than the current year.
Cllr Nick Bennett, Conservative cabinet member for resources and climate change, said:
“The proposal to increase council tax is not made lightly particularly given pressure on household budgets, but we have to protect our services now and for the future.
"Demand for care services continues to grow and we have little choice but to increase local taxation.
“In proposing the budget, we are providing over £51m of additional funding for a range of pressures that services are experiencing as they continue to deliver the core services".
While the full budget does not include any new savings, it does include a planned use of reserves of up to £14.3m to cover a shortfall in the council’s available funds.
The overall budget proposals were agreed without any amendments being tabled by opposition parties.