Cabinet backs 3.95 per cent council tax rise
ROTHERHAM Council’s cabinet has backed a 3.95 per cent council tax rise from April – with leaders pointing to measures including discount swimming for over-65s as part of a budget they say supports residents while investing in services.
The budget which was approved at cabinet this week and is due to go before full council in March – will see the annual council tax bill for a Band D household rise by £73.89 from April, taking it to £1,944.52.
Council leader Chris Read told the meeting that the proposals reflected a shift away from the severe financial pressures faced by the authority in the past, as government funding for local services has increased.
“We would like them to do more, and this doesn’t mean we’re completely out of the woods,” he said, “but for those who remember the years when we were facing £20million funding gaps year on year, we are light years away from that.”
The budget includes funding for business support officers and events in town centres including Rotherham, Swinton, Wath, Maltby and Dinnington, alongside investment in parks, leisure and highways.
Cllr Read said the council was also trying to ease everyday costs for residents, pointing to a new offer of half-price swimming for people aged 65 and over.
The council leader added that, despite the proposed council tax increase, Rotherham residents were still paying less than they would have done if the authority had to hike council tax by the maximum of five per cent.
“Because we’ve been really disciplined, frankly, about the budget choices and the financial choices that we’ve made for the seventh successive year, we are able to increase council tax by less than the full amount.
“And the cumulative benefit of that is that people in Rotherham are typically going to pay £100 less each year in council tax than they would have done if we needed to go up to the absolute limit each year for the last six years.”
The proposals will now go before full council in March for final approval.