Herefordshire Council tax hike despite savings

HEREFORDSHIRE Council’s cabinet has backed a 1.9 per cent council tax rise that takes the average annual bill close to £1,300.

Cabinet was told the increase had to be set against the toughest budget test the council has faced yet, a prospect set to be repeated year-on-year for some time to come.

A final vote on the rise will be taken by the full council on February 18.

The council faces a £5.45 million (6.9 per cent) cut in funding from central government over 2013/14.

Though the proposed budget behind the 1.9 per cent rise is intended to meet this shortfall – and other financial pressures – more savings will need to be made in future years as the Government grant is reduced further.

Comments(9)

JohnBoym458 says...
10:43am Tue 12 Feb 13

More money to be wasted by the Incompetent Hfd Council...........

UK Taxpayer says...
4:57pm Tue 12 Feb 13

I don't understand why we have to pay council tax? The only thing I see happening is the bins being taken weekly and a bit of recycling every 2 weeks. No policing, roads are in a mess, the tip is a waste of time as I can't go there in my vehicle, church - who cares, its an embarressment.
F**king council and government! Let me run the county and country, that'd sort things out!

Biomech says...
8:56pm Tue 12 Feb 13

If I can't afford shopping, I'd eat beans on toast for weeks - like many people do now.

So if the HC need this money so badly, instead of stealing it from everyone else, how about they cut back on their non essentials, charge their own staff for things like parking and other things the rest of us have to pay for.

Biomech says...
8:59pm Tue 12 Feb 13

Bobby, I haven't seen anything from you today, are we on a boycott of three HT over their pathetic censorship and removal of comments? If so let me know and ill join you

courtesycall says...
7:20am Wed 13 Feb 13

Where hfds council goes wrong is thinking like a business but not behaving like one. Paying the top brass highly as if the council should be on a par with a similar sized organisation in the private sector overlooks the fact that private sector organisations don't have the luxury of a bottomless purse.

The top brass is Herefordshire council are overpaid. Simple as that. They are also responsible for the sorry state of the county. unfortunately most of the councillors are either too pig-headed or weak- willed to do anything about it. It's not cuts in public services that are needed or expecting hard -pressed residents to fork out more but cuts in the cost of how those services are administered.

bobby47 says...
2:06pm Wed 13 Feb 13

Biomech, Ive crossed the picket line so lets get going again!
Come on everyone. Back to work. Our pointless protest is over unless some one says it isn't and I'll clear off again.
I'll not have anyone calling me a 'scab'!
As for this little slice of pleasure, namely the increase in our contributions toward this bureaucratic monster that we've allowed to overwhelm us, it's bloody depressing and wholly wrong in this current economic climate.
How on earth did we allow ourselves to reach this point?
We used to be a Nation of protestors and now we simply swallow it up.
We raise an objection and were damned and branded socially irresponsible. We complain and we're corporate terrorists who seek anarchy and if we take to the streets and object you end up on some data base singling you out as someone to be watched in the future.
These are the economics of the crazy and I know what Im talking about.
This just can't go on and I look forward to the day we all arrive at the tipping point when the people say, 'No. No more.

Biomech says...
2:31pm Wed 13 Feb 13

Oh don't return on my account :P I was away with work and missed the walk out :P I'm happy to join you, just didn't know it happened :P When/is there a comeback tour date?

Themightyboosh says...
9:08pm Wed 13 Feb 13

Hooray i love paying more for less.
As i woke up this morning i thought
what i really need today is a good hard kick in the love spuds.
Well done hfd council you got it spot on for once.

WYSIATI says...
2:37am Thu 14 Feb 13

Or you could look at the numbers in real terms -

Inflation over 2012 ~ 2.8%

Council turnover ~£367M
So inflation would add ~£10M to that
Govt grants -6.9%
Council tax -0.9% in real terms.

But that's too complicated and not as good as a headline. Just like a three year pay freeze with inflation running at around 12+% over the period isn't a headline either when the aim is to smear those working for the council.

Best stick to those private sector jobs where the pay of the management greatly exceeds the same jobs in the public sector but the pay for everyone else is less and the pensions that people used to get have all been withdrawn.

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