Council tax set to rise by 2 per cent
Horley residents will have to pay more than £30 a year extra in council tax after all three local authorities agreed to raise it by two per cent.
The hike, which amounts to around 60p a week for band D households, is the result of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, Surrey County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner opting to increase their share by 1.99 or two per cent.
Surrey County Council leader David Hodge said: “If we do not increase council tax now it will cripple Surrey finances in the future.”
Mr Hodge said the extra money raised would help pay for 12,000 new school places and £25m worth of road improvements over the next five years.
He also announced plans to the council to sponsor 500 apprenticeships to help young people to get a job.
Reigate and Banstead Borough Council deputy leader Cllr Victor Broad said a Government grant to freeze council tax equivalent to one per cent was not enough. She said: “This time we are proposing not to accept the offer because it means we would need to find an additional £1.5m in savings over the next five years to meet the budget gap it would create.”
Meanwhile Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner Kevin Hurley had his proposal to increase the police’s share approved by the county’s crime scrutiny panel. He said: “Even with the increase in our share of council tax, the overall budget for Surrey Police next year will be £1m less than the previous year. I cannot and will not relent in seeking out more ways to save money and do better with the resources that we have.”
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Weather for Crawley
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
