Wirral Council will increase people’s council tax by nearly 5% after receiving backing from parties across the borough.
This along with increases for police and fire services funding means people in Wirral will see an increase of at least £70 a year from April. Money residents pay towards the Liverpool City Region will stay the same.
Wirral Council’s budget, which was passed by Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat councillors, required the council tax increase in order to avoid making cuts to leisure centres, libraries and other key services.
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Despite Conservative councillors voting against the budget because of the rise, they agreed with the other parties to set the fee for those in Band D properties rise to £1,798 which is an increase of £85 compared to the previous year.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Kathy Hodson, said: "I voted against the rise in council tax. I felt along with the rest of my Conservative colleagues that there was enough scope to find resources from elsewhere than putting council tax up."
Leader of the Conservative group Cllr Tom Anderson, explaining the vote, said: “Several votes were held on the Council’s budget – including the capital programme to maintain buildings and infrastructure; precepts required to fund police, fire and transport and also how the money we raise in council tax and business rates should be spent.
“It was on this last aspect that we do not believe that some of Labour’s proposals offered value for money at a time when so many people are struggling to make ends meet.
“However, having been outvoted by Labour on that, we did then vote to pass an overall budget, as we are legally required to.”
Councillors also voted to double council tax on second homes and bring forward extra charges on empty homes with some exceptions made for renovations from 2024.
In October, the government allowed local authorities to increase their tax by 2.99% for general services and an extra 2% to fund social care without a public referendum. Analysis by the County Councils Network showed at least three in four councils will be raising council tax this year.
Wirral Council’s budget gap of £32m has been driven by rising energy costs and inflation while income from leisure centres and other revenue has gone down. The tax rise of 4.99% is below inflation.
The council’s independent watchdog said the council was not to blame for the budget gap but Conservative councillors have argued previous financial mismanagement of the council is to blame.
Now that all budgets are set for next year, the rises mean the 61,000 houses in the lowest tax band A will pay £70 more. Those in Band D will now pay £105 more while those in Band H, the highest council tax band, will pay £210.98 more.
Council leader Cllr Janette Williamson previously expressed concern about raising council tax given that more than 80% of the homes on the Wirral are in the bottom three council tax bands.
After the vote, she said: “No council leader wants to put up their council tax and it wasn’t a decision of mine alone anyway because I haven’t got the numbers to do that.
“Most councils are having to do it because of what the government has told us that their funding formula depended on us increasing it. It was a mechanism at our disposal so they expected us to use it.
“It wasn’t great but it works in line with most other councils and we are keeping all of our services open.”
Your council tax bill next year will be:
Band A - £1,438.71
Band B - 1,678.50
Band C - £1,918.27
Band D - £2,158.06
Band E - £2,637.62
Band F - £3,117.20
Band G - £3,596.77
Band H - £4,316.12
This is an increase of:
Band A - £70.32
Band B - £82.05
Band C - £93.76
Band D - £105.48
Band E - £128.91
Band F - £152.37
Band G - £175.8
Band H - £210.96
The government recently announced an extension to the Household Support Fund with £6m given to Wirral Council to support people during the cost of living crisis. Wirral Council will also continue its Hardship Relief Scheme to help those struggling to pay council tax as well as its reduction scheme.
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