Council tax to rise

3:50pm Wednesday 17th September 2008

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The credit crunch is squeezing from all sides, with Elmbridge Council’s leader announcing an inevitable rise in council tax next year.

Leader of the council, Councillor Roy Taylor, said the tax freeze of recent years was an impossibility this year.

Council tax levels in Elmbridge have remained the same since 2006.

Coun Taylor said the council had been hit by rising costs and falling income and predicted it could be another three years before the economic situation levels itself out.

“There isn’t much we can do about it. It’s a fact of life,” he said. “We are being hit by the same fuel, gas and electricity charges that everyone else is and we are in dangerous times.”

He insisted every penny has been cut back in terms of council spending, but a decline in planning applications and parking charge revenue had left the council with no choice but to consider a council tax rise.

However, Councillor Chris Sadler revealed the council’s accounts looked promising.

He said: “Even with the fiasco with parking charges and lower income from planning charges, the overall council expenditure is about £140,000 lower than we budgeted for.”

But Coun Taylor could not share his optimism, and said the elderly would “suffer” and be among the hardest hit because their pensions are struggling to keep up with rising inflation.

Hersham pensioner Bridget Vedova’s 40-year-old disabled son pays most of their bills through his trust fund and she is already dreading the tax rise.

Mrs Vedova said: “My son pays the majority of the bills despite being disabled and having no real income.

“The bills keep going up and our savings are going down. It’s just getting more and more expensive to live.”

The level of rise will not be decided until about February next year, but will definitely be below the capping level of 5 per cent, Coun Taylor promised.