Reigate and Banstead set to freeze council tax
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s share of the annual council tax bill looks set to be frozen at last year’s rate.
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s share of the annual council tax bill looks set to be frozen at last year’s rate, after the Executive agreed to recommend no increase this year.
Historic move
If the move is agreed by Council on Thursday, 11 February (2010), it would be first time in the Council’s history there has been no rise, and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s share of the council tax bill for 2010/2011 would remain at £193.83, or £3.72 a week for a Band D average household.
£2 million savings
Cllr Victor Broad, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Finance, said: “The Executive has recommended a budget for the year ahead which would enables us, for the first time in the Council’s history, to avoid any increase in our share of council tax.
"We were keen to try to achieve this for 2010/11, in what we appreciate is a difficult financial climate for many residents and businesses.
“To enable this to happen we have worked hard to make substantial savings of over £2 million in our annual budget, which for next year will be £18.3 million.
"We have examined the way we deliver services, our staffing levels and wage bill, making efficiency savings and improving effectiveness where possible, without compromising the services that we provide.
"We are also still on target to deliver our ambitious plans for new community and leisure facilities that residents have been promised.”
Value for money
Reigate & Banstead gets just 13 pence in each pound of the annual council tax bill (13 per cent) because the bulk of the money collected goes to Surrey County Council (74 per cent) and Surrey Police (13 per cent).
The Council spends just over £62 million a year in providing services to residents ranging from household waste and recycling collection and cracking down on fly-tippers to leisure provision and planning services.
Of that, the government provides 11 per cent, 71 per cent is made up from various sources of income and 18 per cent is met by council tax.
Last updated : 15/02/2010
