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W Sussex Council Tax Rise Pushing 4%

W Sussex Council Tax Rise Pushing 4%

8 January 2016 17:35 PM

Council tax in West Sussex is set to rise 3.95% to help cover a £44.5m shortfall in the County Council`s budget. The rise is driven by a worse than expected cut in government grant - over 20% and more than the national average.

Without the rise, the first in six years, critical frontline services would face severe cuts, says the council.

The council’s budget for 2016/17 will be set at £529m and the shortfall will be bridged by the £14.6 million raised by the increase in tax, £18.7m worth of planned savings and £11m of previous savings.

WSCC leader Louise Goldsmith said: “This will be an extremely challenging year for us. Our government grant has been cut by over 20 per cent – this is much worse than the national average and far more than we had expected.

“However our prudence in the past has paid off and we are able to use £11m of previous savings to help plug the budget shortfall while we continue to make the necessary savings next year.

“We are determined to protect the services that matter most to West Sussex residents - giving children the best start in life, boosting the West Sussex economy and helping people live independently for longer in later life.

“In order to do this we have no choice but to raise council tax for the first time in six years. Without this raise we would be facing severe cuts in critical frontline services.”

The tax increase includes the 2% charge announced by Chancellor George Osborne to help councils meet the demands of supporting an increasingly ageing population.

The increase will be put to the full council on the 19th February and if agreed will add £45.90 to an average (Band D) annual bill from April.

Picture © copyright N Chadwick: County Hall.



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