Council tax bills should rise - union - News - Weston Mercury
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Unison has called on the council to raise tax
Council tax bills should rise - union
Saturday, January 28, 2012 1:00 PM
A TRADE union has called on North Somerset Council to raise council tax to prevent a ‘hole’ in its budgets and protect vital services.
Unison wants the authority to reject a proposed council tax freeze when it sets its budgets next month.
The council is currently preparing to freeze council tax at its current level – £1,150,87 a year for a band D property – to qualify for a Government grant of £2.267million.
But Unison spokesman Helen Thornton said: “If North Somerset Council accepts the council tax freeze grant it will mean much higher council tax increases in the future or, alternatively, even deeper cuts.
“As a grant equivalent to 2.5 per cent of council tax income it is well under inflation, which currently stands at between four and five per cent. “This means the council’s income isn’t keeping up with its costs.”	She also said the fact the grant is only funded for one year means the council will have a hole equivalent to £2.3million in its annual budgets from 2013.
Ms Thornton called for a council tax increase of 3.5 per cent, which would cost residents an extra £3.35 per month on average.
She added: “A rejection of the council tax freeze grant will send a clear message to Westminster that North Somerset Council, as a low-funded authority, cannot provide essential services on the current levels of Government funding, and increasing council tax is the only way to protect vital public services to our most vulnerable citizens.”
A spokesman for the council said the authority is ‘minded to accept’ the freeze grant, but it will not formally make the decision until a full council meeting on February 21.
5 comments	and they should be forced to cut council tax not cap it...
Saturday, January 28, 2012	Why should it be based on ability to pay John James? we all use the services. Local income tax just screws over the people who can be bothered to work. Poll Tax was the fairest everyone has to pay. Report this comment
Saturday, January 28, 2012	Hands up if you have had a pay rise this year I havent get over it Thornton	Report this comment
Saturday, January 28, 2012	Some union spokesperson she turned out to be...lol.
Why should people who earn more pay more for the same services...?	Report this comment
Saturday, January 28, 2012	UNISON isn't exactly going out of it's way to be the 'voice of the people', is it? Good luck trying to gain public support on this one! I still say the CT should be abolished, not frozen, as it bares no relation to our ability to pay. A local income tax of some sort would be a fairer system of funding services.	Report this comment
shameless contrarian
Saturday, January 28, 2012	The views expressed in the above comments do not necessarily reflect the views of this site
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Council tax bills should rise - union - News - Weston Mercury
March 16 2014 Latest news:	Delight as teenage pregnancies fall
Hot Topic: Retail park’s traffic woes
Call for ‘protection’ from travellers after thousands visit village
Festival of arts, music and dance continues
Football fans complete international dream
Video Holidays Contact us Contact us
Unison has called on the council to raise tax
Council tax bills should rise - union
Saturday, January 28, 2012 1:00 PM
A TRADE union has called on North Somerset Council to raise council tax to prevent a ‘hole’ in its budgets and protect vital services.
Unison wants the authority to reject a proposed council tax freeze when it sets its budgets next month.
The council is currently preparing to freeze council tax at its current level – £1,150,87 a year for a band D property – to qualify for a Government grant of £2.267million.
But Unison spokesman Helen Thornton said: “If North Somerset Council accepts the council tax freeze grant it will mean much higher council tax increases in the future or, alternatively, even deeper cuts.
“As a grant equivalent to 2.5 per cent of council tax income it is well under inflation, which currently stands at between four and five per cent. “This means the council’s income isn’t keeping up with its costs.”	She also said the fact the grant is only funded for one year means the council will have a hole equivalent to £2.3million in its annual budgets from 2013.
Ms Thornton called for a council tax increase of 3.5 per cent, which would cost residents an extra £3.35 per month on average.
She added: “A rejection of the council tax freeze grant will send a clear message to Westminster that North Somerset Council, as a low-funde
d authority, cannot provide essential services on the current levels of Government funding, and increasing council tax is the only way to protect vital public services to our most vulnerable citizens.”
A spokesman for the council said the authority is ‘minded to accept’ the freeze grant, but it will not formally make the decision until a full council meeting on February 21.
5 comments	and they should be forced to cut council tax not cap it...
Saturday, January 28, 2012	Why should it be based on ability to pay John James? we all use the services. Local income tax just screws over the people who can be bothered to work. Poll Tax was the fairest everyone has to pay. Report this comment
Saturday, January 28, 2012	Hands up if you have had a pay rise this year I havent get over it Thornton	Report this comment
Saturday, January 28, 2012	Some union spokesperson she turned out to be...lol.
Why should people who earn more pay more for the same services...?	Report this comment
Saturday, January 28, 2012	UNISON isn't exactly going out of it's way to be the 'voice of the people', is it? Good luck trying to gain public support on this one! I still say the CT should be abolished, not frozen, as it bares no relation to our ability to pay. A local income tax of some sort would be a fairer system of funding services.	Report this comment
shameless contrarian
Saturday, January 28, 2012	The views expressed in the above comments do not necessarily reflect the views of this site
Delight as teenage pregnancies fall
Helping hand given to keep town charity open
Family fun day like scene from Del Boy sketch
Wildlife charity fears spread of bovine TB
Search to trace cemetary families continues
Network unveils new minority HQ