Tuesday 17th February 2004
Watch Devon County Council's Tax Debate | |
|  | | Tough decisions to be made on Council Tax |
| | The agreed level of Council Tax for people in the Devon County Council area will be ratified today. Leaders are meeting to agree the budget amid widespread anger over the spiralling costs of providing local services. Watch the meeting here. |
| | | For the past 12 months Devon County Councillors have been under increasing criticism over the cost of providing local services.
Pensioners groups in particular have protested at last year's 17.9% Council Tax increase.
This year the government has got tough, telling all councils that increases should be in low single figures.
Devon has responded, with the recommendation to be debated today that the increase should be 5.25%.
However, that would mean cuts in social services and highway maintenance.
The proposed 5.25% increase is expected to be given final approval at a meeting of the full Council today.
A rise of 5.25% will mean increases of about £45 a year to most Band D properties, although there may be additional increases from the police and fire authorities and local district and parish councils.
The Local Government Minister, Nick Raynsford, has already written to Devon County Council warning that he wants to see the tax increase by what he describes as 'low single figures'. He said he will not hesitate to use capping powers if necessary.
To help shape the budget, Devon County Council carried out a major public consultation involving over 700,000 people.
It sought the public's views on three potential budget options for 2004/5.
All the options would require single figure Council Tax rises and include a real terms increase in spending on schools of £14.2 million, cuts in all other services and staff reductions.
The results don't show an overwhelmingly strong preference for one option above all others.
The options were:
| A Council Tax rise of 7% with spending cuts of £6.9 million. | | | A Council Tax rise of 6% with spending cuts of £9.2 million. | | | A Council Tax rise of 5% with spending cuts of £11.5 million. |
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The views of the council's residents panel "Devon Voice" were:
| 37.1% in favour of a Council Tax rise of 7% | | | 22.1% in favour of a Council Tax rise of 6% | | | 33.5% in favour of a Council Tax rise of 5% | | | 1.6% in favour of other options | | | 5.7% made comments only. | | | There were 982 responses, a return of 61.5% |
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The views of residents in the random survey were:
| 29.3% in favour of a Council Tax rise of 7% | | | 23.6% in favour of a Council Tax rise of 6% | | | 37.1% in favour of a Council Tax rise of 5% | | | 5.7% in favour of other options | | | 4.3% made comments only | | | There were 1,957 responses, a return of 39.1% |
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