Congratulations to South Oxfordshire District Council who are proposing to cut their Council Tax precept next year by 2.5%. This will reduce the bills on Band D taxpayer from £123.73 to £120.64. Sharing services with the Vale of White Horse District Council, which delivered savings of more than £5 million a year. (As seen on TV.) They have asked for a reduction in the number of councillors.
The Henley Standard reports that the Council leader Cllr Ann Ducker said:
“These are very difficult economic times and I want to give a boost to residents by reducing what we ask them to pay for the services we provide.
“Earlier in the year, when we were planning our budget for 2012/13, we had no plans to increase council tax.
“However, as the Government is now giving us the equivalent of a 2.5 per cent increase, the best thing we can do is pass this straight on to our residents.”
We took over in Hammersmith and Fulham in 2006 so the first Council Tax cut, of 3%, came in for the financial year 2007/08. We waited to see what others would do. Looking at Table 6 on this link confirmed by memory that we were the only council in the country to cut the Council Tax that year. On Monday we announced a 3.75% Council Tax cut for 2011/12. I am pleased that it is already clear we will not be alone in achieving a reduction.