Wandsworth Council set to increase council tax by maximum 4.99%

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Community Editor
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Wandsworth Council set to increase council tax by maximum 4.99%

Postby Community Editor » Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:22 am

Council tax in Wandsworth will remain the lowest in London, however Wandsworth Labour have criticised the council for increasing it by the maximum. 

At a meeting in March, the Council will be asked to consider a council tax increase of 2.99%, plus a further 2% precept for social care.

This means that there will be an average extra charge of £21.38 year-on-year and set the overall tax bill for an average Band D property for the entire year to £770.31.

In addition to the proposed rise from Wandsworth Council, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also raised his precept, which is added to council tax, by 8.9%.

The council said the overall Wandsworth total is still expected to be around half the London average.

Council leader Ravi Govindia said: "We are committed to providing quality services with a low council tax which will remain half the London average. 

"This year we will be increasing our share of the council tax by 4.99% - nearly half of which is ring-fenced for improving adult social care; the rest enabling us to invest in local services. 

"It does seem odd that Wandsworth labour are against this especially when the mayor of London’s increase is higher than 9% and they have never managed to provide an alternative budget or tell residents how they will fund extra spending."

Wandsworth Labour Group has said that when compared to last year's council tax bill, residents would be experiencing a 7% increase for the average Band D property, when accounting for Wandsworth Council's increase as well as the increase in the Mayor of London's precept.

Emily Wintle, Labour councillor for St Mary's Park Battersea, said: "In last May’s local election Wandsworth Labour pledged to freeze council tax this year. But despite fighting the recent local election on a promise of low council tax, Wandsworth Conservative Council is putting council tax up by the maximum possible.

"Wandsworth Labour believes that council tax is regressive, and the poorest will be hardest hit by this rise they can pay six times more as a proportion of income compared to the richest citizens of our borough. In the current economic climate, many Wandsworth people will struggle to pay the increased bills."

Source: https://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/ne ... -per-cent/

Photo: Council leader Ravi Govindia (Top), Labour leader Simon Hogg (bottom left) and Labour Councillor Emily Wintle (bottom right).

 
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chorister
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Re: Wandsworth Council set to increase council tax by maximum 4.99%

Postby chorister » Mon Feb 25, 2019 8:33 am

Carol2R - Well said.
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