District Council Proposes Tax Rise

Harborough District Council has announced plans to increase its share of your council tax bill.

The authority’s budget proposals have been revealed which also include no plans to increase car parking charges or raise the cost of its garden waste bin collection service.

Increasing council’s element of council tax bills by 2.99% equates to an additional £5.32 a year for the average Band D property, taking the charge to just over £183.

The move would bring in additional revenue of £326,000, at a time the council is facing a range of significant inflationary and service pressures, with the authority facing a predicted budget gap of over £7m over the next four years.

Cllr Mark Graves, portfolio holder for finance spoke to HFM about the proposed tax rise and the council’s financial position:

Services provided by Harborough District Council include waste and recycling, planning, parks and open spaces, street cleaning and environmental health.

The council’s Cabinet will discuss the draft budget at a meeting next week and a public consultation will be carried out before it is put to the Full Council for approval.

Leicestershire County Council is also proposing increasing its part of council tax bills.