At next week's meeting of the full council, Labour-run Rotherham Council intend to hike council tax by 4%. This includes money for a clock! Is this what council tax money should be spent on?
In 2022-23, a referendum is required if a local authority wishes to increase council tax by two per cent, with one per cent of additional flexibility for councils with adult social care responsibilities. As part of the Government's intervention to help households with the cost of living, households living in council tax Band A to Band D in England should have received a £150 rebate on their council tax bill in 2022-23. Local authorities also received their share of a discretionary fund worth £144 million to distribute to households in need of support who were not eligible for the rebate
That said, Rotherham Labour has decided to go above the national average and now plans to increase their council tax by 4%. This follows a pattern of events by Rotherham Labour not representing the interest of the people they serve.
If you are facing financial difficulties, you may be eligible to apply for a reduction to your council tax online: https://www.gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction
I would love to hear your thoughts on this rise. You can do so by filling out the petition attached HERE.
Image: "File:Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Riverside House, 17 October 2014 (2).jpg" by Chris Page is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
