Plans to hike Gloucestershire County Council’s share of the Council Tax bill by 4.99 per cent have been approved.
The average Band D household would pay an extra £5.13 per month for services the authority provides.
That’s before any rises from the police, district and parish councils are factored in too.
County councillors voted through the proposals by a majority of 28, with 18 abstentions.
The authority needs £295million from council taxpayers for its budget to balance.
The county council will pump £11million of the extra funding into children’s services, and a further £3million will go towards the budget for adult social care.
The council needs to make nearly £21million in savings next year, and next year’s budget lays out what it needs as a share of the bill.
HOW MUCH YOU WILL PAY EXTRA A MONTH, BY COUNCIL TAX BAND:
Band A: £3.41
Band B: £3.98
Band C: £4.55
Band D: £5.12
Band E: £6.26
Band F: £7.40
Band G: £8.53
Band H: £10.24
Nearly two-thirds of households are in Bands A, B, or C.
The council reckons the price of keeping young children safe will cost £84million next year, up from £73million this year.
The budget for adult social care will go up by £3million to £136million as of April 2019.
The draft 2019/20 budget also sets out a range of capital investments such as £44million for schools, £57million towards highways and £7million for potholes.
Speaking at the full council meeting today, council leader Mark Hawthorne said: “The claims that austerity isn’t over is wrong. This budget does not show austerity, it shows investment.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Joe Harris (Cirencester Park) said: “The Conservatives have turned a bline eye to reality of the last few years, and are not working for the people of Gloucestershire. There is a funding crisis and you should be lobbying the Government harder.”
The increase in council tax will come into effect as of April 1 this year.
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