Wednesday 6 February, 2008
Last night the council's Executive Committee recommended an increase of 2.98% in the borough component of council tax for 2008/09. This represents an increase of approximately £226k in the overall council tax bill for the borough. The average Guildford band D household will now pay £138.17 per year for borough council services, which is an average increase of £4 per year.
Cllr Andrew Hodges, Leader of the Council, says: "We have worked hard to keep council tax bills as low as possible for borough residents and we have the second lowest level of council tax in Surrey. This has been particularly challenging this year in light of the current economic pressures and at a time when the national average increase in council tax is 4%.”
Guildford Borough Council keeps only 10% of the overall council tax it collects in the annual bill sent to residents. The remainder is split between:
Cllr Tony Rooth, Lead Councillor for Finance and Resources, says: "We spend over £90m on council services and we are committed to providing the best value we can for our residents. This was recognised in a recent independent report by the Audit Commission, which gave the council top marks for managing and improving value for money. By prioritising services and managing them efficiently, we have been able to set a budget this year which means that we can maintain our current service levels and also improve some of them. Examples of this work include the continued expansion and investment in our kerbside recycling and the current kitchen waste trial."
The 2.98% increase in council tax will now be recommended for approval at a meeting of the Full Council on Thursday 14 February.