District council tax rise under two per cent
HOUSEHOLDERS in North Kesteven are facing an annual increase of £2.34 in the amount they pay for district council services from April, an increase of less than two per cent.
This is the figure for residents of Band D rated properties but most people will pay less where they live in lower-banded homes.
North Kesteven District Council says that this figure should mean council taxpayers in the district will face one of the lowest bills for delivery of district council services in Lincolnshire.
The figure has been reached following consultation with residents from the Council's Viewpoint Panel, where 78 per cent of participants thought the council's spending plans and council tax proposals for 2010 were 'about right'.
The council's executive board on Thursday agreed the authority's budget for the coming financial year and the 4,903,789 total local residents need to contribute towards meeting its 40.5m spending plans.
The executive is recommending to the full council an increase of 1.76 per cent in the local charge.
For a Band D house this would mean that the district council element of the final bill would be 135.09, up 2.34 from this last year's 132.75.
Council leader Coun Marion Brighton, said: "This rate still represents extraordinary good value at just 11.06 a month at Band D.
"Given the state of the economy at this time, we have undertaken a more vigorous assessment than ever of our finances and spending priorities to ensure we strengthen efficiency in our delivery of essential services that make a positive difference to the lives of all our residents.
"In setting our budgets we involved our council taxpayers directly and our recommendation bears in mind their circumstances, priorities and preferences."
Seventy eight per cent of the 122 attendees at three consultation meetings thought the council's spending plans and council tax proposals were 'about right' and nine per cent thought them 'too low'.
"This is a clear indication that our residents appreciate the work we do in very difficult financial circumstances," said Mrs Brighton.
"We know that many people, as well as businesses, are suffering real financial difficulties and the last thing they would have wanted is a big increase in council tax.
That's why we have worked so hard to keep the council's rise down to 1.76 per cent, which is some way below the county and national averages."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Sleaford
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Mist
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
