UPDATED: Councils meet to set council tax - but Poole's budget is dramatically overturned (From Thisisdorset)
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UPDATED: Councils meet to set council tax - but Poole's budget is dramatically overturned
5:30am Wednesday 27th February 2013 in Latest
by Steven Smith, Katie Clark and Diana Henderson
THREE councils met to set their council tax on Tuesday evening - with one meeting dramatically overturning the leadership's budget.
Poole's Conservatives, who are the largest group on a hung council, saw their plans for a 1.95 per cent tax rise defeated by an alliance of Liberal Democrats and the Poole People group.
The opposition's proposal for a council tax freeze was then approved instead.
Council leader Cllr Elaine Atkinson - now left to implement a budget she did not agree with - said she would not resign and pledged to work with other parties.
In Bournemouth, the Conservative-dominated council approved the budget in a 20-minute meeting.
The council backed a 0.7 per cent cut in its share of council tax. The cut means that the total bill will remain frozen even when increased charges by the police and fire authorities are added in.
Leader Cllr John Beesley said the budget and council tax would help those struggling in tough times while protecting frontline services.
Christchurch risked the wrath of local government secretary Eric Pickles by increasing its council tax by 1.95 per cent. Mr Pickles has criticised councils who raise their bills by just under the two per cent cap he imposed on them.
The increase will amount to £3.40 a year for a Band D property.
Christchurch's share of the council tax is 11 per cent of the total bill.
Cllr Mike Duckworth, cabinet member for performance, said: “We recognise increases are difficult but the proposed increase is below inflation."
He added: "Council tax has not risen for two years. This is one of our key income streams, however, representing 61 per cent of our net budget.
"Recent feedback from the public consultation on the budget indicated that people preferred small manageable increases rather than large ad hoc ones."
Comments(27)
sea poole
says...
4:23pm Tue 26 Feb 13
John T
says...
5:42pm Tue 26 Feb 13
sea poole wrote:Probably to earn about 1% interest for the Council taxpayers whose money it is, and 5% for the poor bankers who have brought such misery on this country and the World.
EGHH- I hope cllrs remember that there is £21,000,000 in Poole's reserves...for what purpose...?
I very much doubt if the Lib Dem Councillors will vote for this increase, when they have proposed an alternative budget with no increase in Council Tax. The outcome will depend on how the so-called Poole People vote!
Hessenford
says...
5:53pm Tue 26 Feb 13
live-and-let-live
says...
6:31pm Tue 26 Feb 13
EGHH wrote:i thought the conservative government had told councils to freeze council tax?
If Poole increases it Council Tax it will show everybody the LibDems would sooner obey their Tory masters than stand up for the hard pressed people of the town. Come the next election the voters will take their revenge on them if they do vote in favour.
Hobad1
says...
7:28pm Tue 26 Feb 13
sea poole wrote:Probably put aside for next year's bridge repairs.
EGHH- I hope cllrs remember that there is £21,000,000 in Poole's reserves...for what purpose...?
muscliffman
says...
7:39pm Tue 26 Feb 13
sea poole wrote:sea poole - have you not heard of pension pots, for themselves naturally?
EGHH- I hope cllrs remember that there is £21,000,000 in Poole's reserves...for what purpose...?
EGHH
says...
7:49pm Tue 26 Feb 13
live-and-let-live wrote:yes they did' but some councils decided to increase. Pickles is annoyed but won't do anything about it. Also if they keep below 2% they don't have ask the people.
EGHH wrote:i thought the conservative government had told councils to freeze council tax?
If Poole increases it Council Tax it will show everybody the LibDems would sooner obey their Tory masters than stand up for the hard pressed people of the town. Come the next election the voters will take their revenge on them if they do vote in favour.
I can't be the only one that is feed up with councils seeing the town's inhabitants as cash cows.
EGHH
says...
9:52pm Tue 26 Feb 13
EGHH
says...
9:52pm Tue 26 Feb 13
live-and-let-live
says...
9:54pm Tue 26 Feb 13
EGHH wrote:so why are you saying the libdems are obeying their tory masters? when they are obviously doing the opposite?
live-and-let-live wrote:yes they did' but some councils decided to increase. Pickles is annoyed but won't do anything about it. Also if they keep below 2% they don't have ask the people. I can't be the only one that is feed up with councils seeing the town's inhabitants as cash cows.EGHH wrote: If Poole increases it Council Tax it will show everybody the LibDems would sooner obey their Tory masters than stand up for the hard pressed people of the town. Come the next election the voters will take their revenge on them if they do vote in favour.i thought the conservative government had told councils to freeze council tax?
muscliffman
says...
10:12pm Tue 26 Feb 13
Over to the journalists.........
and then back to the voters at the next opportunity!
EGHH
says...
10:30pm Tue 26 Feb 13
live-and-let-live wrote:I can only assume the local LibDems have still got integrity unlike their leader.
EGHH wrote:so why are you saying the libdems are obeying their tory masters? when they are obviously doing the opposite?
live-and-let-live wrote:yes they did' but some councils decided to increase. Pickles is annoyed but won't do anything about it. Also if they keep below 2% they don't have ask the people. I can't be the only one that is feed up with councils seeing the town's inhabitants as cash cows.EGHH wrote: If Poole increases it Council Tax it will show everybody the LibDems would sooner obey their Tory masters than stand up for the hard pressed people of the town. Come the next election the voters will take their revenge on them if they do vote in favour.i thought the conservative government had told councils to freeze council tax?
Hessenford
says...
10:50pm Tue 26 Feb 13
Mike_French
says...
12:32am Wed 27 Feb 13
The increase will amount to £3.40 a year for a Band D property. "
So a band D property is only liable for approx £6.63p C/Tax per anumn?
How interesting......
John T
says...
12:34am Wed 27 Feb 13
muscliffman wrote:For one moment there, muscliffman, I thought you were referring to the bankers' unnatural pension pots.
sea poole wrote:sea poole - have you not heard of pension pots, for themselves naturally?
EGHH- I hope cllrs remember that there is £21,000,000 in Poole's reserves...for what purpose...?
Mike_French
says...
1:24am Wed 27 Feb 13
Mike_French wrote:*Typo*
" Christchurch risked the wrath of local government secretary Eric Pickles by increasing its council tax by 1.95 per cent. Mr Pickles has criticised councils who raise their bills by just under the two per cent cap he imposed on them.
The increase will amount to £3.40 a year for a Band D property. "
So a band D property is only liable for approx £6.63p C/Tax per anumn?
How interesting......
" Christchurch risked the wrath of local government secretary Eric Pickles by increasing its council tax by 1.95 per cent. Mr Pickles has criticised councils who raise their bills by just under the two per cent cap he imposed on them.
The increase will amount to £3.40 a year for a Band D property. "
So a band D property is only liable for approx £166.00p C/Tax per anumn?
How interesting......
Mike_French
says...
1:25am Wed 27 Feb 13
Mike_French wrote:" Christchurch risked the wrath of local government secretary Eric Pickles by increasing its council tax by 1.95 per cent. Mr Pickles has criticised councils who raise their bills by just under the two per cent cap he imposed on them.
" Christchurch risked the wrath of local government secretary Eric Pickles by increasing its council tax by 1.95 per cent. Mr Pickles has criticised councils who raise their bills by just under the two per cent cap he imposed on them.
The increase will amount to £3.40 a year for a Band D property. "
So a band D property is only liable for approx £6.63p C/Tax per anumn?
How interesting......
The increase will amount to £3.40 a year for a Band D property. "
So a band D property is only liable for approx £166.00p C/Tax per anumn?
How interesting......
Baywolf
says...
7:35am Wed 27 Feb 13
Carolyn43
says...
8:37am Wed 27 Feb 13
live-and-let-live
says...
9:34am Wed 27 Feb 13
Carolyn43 wrote:maybe, but we can choose not to pay to park. well, ok, not everyone has that choice but some of us do. we can choose not to have a green bin which will cut our costs. with council tax, there isnt any choice. its just snatched from our banks.
Now we can look forward to an increase in parking charges to make up for what the Tories have lost in council tax.
Carolyn43
says...
9:46am Wed 27 Feb 13
live-and-let-live wrote:Whatever they decide, they'll get the money they want from us somehow - or at least from some of us.
Carolyn43 wrote:maybe, but we can choose not to pay to park. well, ok, not everyone has that choice but some of us do. we can choose not to have a green bin which will cut our costs. with council tax, there isnt any choice. its just snatched from our banks.
Now we can look forward to an increase in parking charges to make up for what the Tories have lost in council tax.
Darren Slade
says...
10:26am Wed 27 Feb 13
Mike_French wrote:As mentioned further on in the copy, Christchurch's precept only accounts for 11 per cent of householders' bills. Dorset County Council charges the largest share and then there are the precepts for the police authority, fire authority and (where applicable) parish council.
" Christchurch risked the wrath of local government secretary Eric Pickles by increasing its council tax by 1.95 per cent. Mr Pickles has criticised councils who raise their bills by just under the two per cent cap he imposed on them.
The increase will amount to £3.40 a year for a Band D property. "
So a band D property is only liable for approx £6.63p C/Tax per anumn?
How interesting......
muscliffman
says...
11:36am Wed 27 Feb 13
John T wrote:Two 'wrongs' don't make a 'right' though do they?
muscliffman wrote:For one moment there, muscliffman, I thought you were referring to the bankers' unnatural pension pots.
sea poole wrote:sea poole - have you not heard of pension pots, for themselves naturally?
EGHH- I hope cllrs remember that there is £21,000,000 in Poole's reserves...for what purpose...?
Branksome Boy
says...
1:55pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Victor_Meldrew_Lives!
says...
3:36pm Wed 27 Feb 13
Branksome Boy wrote:Or email financial services with your details as I did.
I have just found out that the government has changed the rules regarding payment of Council Tax. In the past Poole Council has insisted on payment over 10 months rather than the usual 12 months. But the council now must allow you to pay over 12 months if you ask for it. It might help peoples budgets but remember you have to ring the council and ask for your bill to be paid over 12 months. I'm sure Poole Council will not be advertising the change in policy!
Power to the people!
Yankee1
says...
9:57pm Wed 27 Feb 13
EGHH says...
3:15pm Tue 26 Feb 13