Rother District Council

Should Council Tax be put up by a small amount to protect vital services or should it be frozen for one year?

That's the question facing Rother councillors and they want your thoughts on the matter.

The Council is consulting on its draft budget and has two options.

• to increase Council Tax by £5.64 for the whole year (11p a week) for the average (band D) home in order to maintain its services; or

• hold Council Tax at its current amount (£161.19 for the average home) and accept a one year only Government grant.

Rother District Council has seen its grant from Government cut by almost £1.7m (30 per cent) over the last two years.

The Government has offered Rother a one-off payment of £177,000 in order to freeze Council Tax, meaning that people won't have to pay more this year. The Council is aware the economic situation means this freeze on Council Tax could be valuable for families suffering in an economic climate where few people have received pay increases, living costs are increasing and job opportunities are limited.

However, this freeze doesn't meet the full extent of the funding cut or the impact of high inflation on its costs. It is likely that, if accepted, Rother will need to reduce or stop some services to balance the books from next year.

Alternatively then, the Council can reject the Government money to freeze Council Tax for 2012/13 and decide on a small increase. A rise in Council Tax provides guaranteed income for the future which will help the Council continue to deliver services.

Rother District Council provides over fifty services, some statutory like housing those in need, waste collection and recycling and some discretionary services such as public toilets, parks and open spaces and leisure centres.

Rother has the lowest Council Tax in East Sussex. The Council also has less than 250 employees - half as many as nearby authorities who deliver similar services and it has lost 30 staff in the past year.

No decision has been made yet on the draft proposal, which will be debated through the Council's committee system, before a final decision is made in February this year.

You can tell the Council what you think by emailing finance@rother.gov.uk or writing to; Draft Budget Consultation, Head of Finance, Rother District Council, Town Hall, Bexhill, East Sussex TN39 3JX.

1 February 2012

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