Bucks announce another Council Tax freeze
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Bucks Council Tax has been frozen for a third successive year it was announced today. At the same time an additional £25 million is being invested in road repairs and there is good news for vital services provided by the authority.
A meeting of the full county council set out a range of measures to improve services despite suffering a catastrophic £13.6m less funding from government.
Freezing Council Tax once again forms the centrepiece of today’s decisions and reflects the 82 per cent of residents who said that they wanted it to stay the same.
On average, the combined effect of the three year freeze will see around £100 back in the pockets of hard-pressed local council tax payers.
A budget of £326.7m was voted through. The extra spending in roads comes on top of £30 already invested. The council has reinstated funding for short breaks for disabled children, Connexions and counselling provision for young people and for Supporting People contracts.
The authority has also agreed to an additional £500,000 over the next two years to help the voluntary and community sector enhance their ability to bid for county services.
At the meeting the council gave the green light to its new Strategic Plan, a blueprint for future service provision until 2017.
Speaking at the meeting council leader Martin Tett, said it was a “budget for jobs and growth”.
He said: “Reaching a balanced budget was incredibly challenging but I believe we have achieved a solution based on compromise, reality and affordability.
“I’m also proud that we’ve delivered a £100 saving in Council Tax in these difficult times and I hope this will go at least some way to help residents cope with other rising household bills.
“In the last three years we have saved £68m and we plan further savings of £45m by 2016/17. That’s the reality of the budget pressures facing councils like Buckinghamshire.
“However, savings will become more difficult to find and at some point I expect we will need to increase income from Council Tax if we are to meet rising demand and increased costs for key services.”
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Thursday 20 June 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 13 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
