Dudley Council is warning of a council tax increase of at least five per cent next year.
A £5 million hole in the budget will have to be filled by residents, whose annual tax bill will go up by about £50 for the second year in succession, council leader David Caunt said today.
Huge increases in running costs – such as a projected £500,000 rise in the cost of street lighting due to rocketing energy prices – will be passed on to householders, he added.
A five per cent rise would mean a resident in a band D property paying about £1,110 in council tax, up from £1,060.
Councillor Caunt said tax increases were the only way to raise the revenue shortfall as government funding had already been set.
A one per cent increase would generate an extra £1million, and £5 million was likely to be needed to shore up council accounts hit by the economic crisis.
Councillor Caunt said: “We along with everybody else will be struggling to keep our rise within what we expect the cap to be, at five per cent.
“No-one is immune to the credit crunch.
“We know what we’re getting from the Government, and it isn’t enough. Shortly I will be writing to them to tell them that.”
3 Comments
The council tax payers don’t have bottomless pockets, especially in the current climate. Maybe better fiscal management by the council is needed instead of the easy option…the council tax payer. Freeze councillors expenses, cancel fact finding jollies, cansel expensive lunches. As they say, look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.
true. true. to the last comment
where do you think the money is coming from for europes biggest mosque yes you the dudley council taxpayers,so think next time you put that X in the box on election day.