A near 5% council tax increase is a step closer for Isle of Wight residents. It comes as the Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet executive approved the authority’s spending plans for the upcoming financial year last night (Thursday). The potential increase in council tax could see the average Band D resident pay £1,908.39 a year towards services. The Alliance Administration’s plans include increases to fees for cremations and marriages, reduced hours at the council’s contact centre and £400,000 used to fund highway drainage schemes to reduce flooding. The proposals will have to cross the final hurdle on Wednesday 28th February, when the cabinet seeks approval of their plans — which they have been working on for the last 6 months — from the full 39 council members. Speaking at the cabinet meeting yesterday, Councillor Phil Jordan, the council leader, said this year’s budget shows a change to previous ones as it tries to deliver something for our community “at last,” in a more positive approach. He said they have committed money to providing affordable homes, a freeze of parking and Floating Bridge charges as well as cash to discount travel for Islanders who go across the Solent for NHS hospital treatments and appointments. Councillor Ian Stephens, the finance cabinet member, said in the budget the Alliance Administration is proposing they have “looked after today and the future as well, coming up with a robust budget in challenging times which shows our prudence and responsibility.” He said the additional money promised to the council in recent weeks from government was the “£3 million to help the medicine go down” as the council had faced pressures in pulling together the budget this year but still “did not solve the issue”. Councillor Stephens said things may get worse before they get better so they need to make sure the council is resilient and has the headroom it needs in its reserves. As part of the budget plans, the council has had to factor in a £1.2 million structural deficit which would be covered from the authority’s general reserves saving pot. The approval of the draft budget now opens the door for other members of the Isle of Wight Council to put forward alternative ideas or amendments, which will be put forward in the coming days.
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Correction. NOT 5% increase for ‘residents’, only a 5% increase for people who work for a living.
How long before Council Tax reaches £100 a week
The Poll Tax was a much fairer system, Council Tax is out of date.
Should be a local tax based on your income like income tax. To save money it could be collected along with the income tax you pay.
Great idea, much fairer for everyone.
So only tax those hard working people, most of whom who are already struggling?
How would that work if you live here on the Island but work on the mainland or elsewhere? Will be really easy for payroll systems of large companies NOT!
May as well just give my employer the councils bank details so they can help themselves getting really p*ssed off with it now what with all the new double yellow lines going around Newport an nowhere to park unless you pay the council £600 a year to park in there car park which is almost half mile away think it would be cheaper an more cost affective to give up work an claim benefits as they seem to have it better than most working people
The world is run by crooks
Do it then, if it’s so desirable and beneficial. Of course you won’t, because you know that working pays much better than benefits. Read your Daily Mail and keep your nonsense to yourself.
My mum is a pensioner but not a lot of money and she pays council tax the full whack
I’m sure the councillors are already rubbing their hands, yet another rises in their expenses with money from our pockets its time they took the hit!
Half the number of these money grabbing creatures and there would be plenty of money and no need for us,the tax payers, to be made even poorer.
They will all suffer in Hell the way they treat the public
All are souless
Amen
So free parking in towns has ended paying to have a wee being introduced now council tax going up sounds like they are using us to get them out of their money troubles
One step closer? We crossed that line years ago. Tory GB ensures ‘hikes’ every year.
Don’t forget to add on the police precept increase and the local council increase so it is not just 5% for us.
We can shop around for most services we pay for like car, house insurance and move around if it’s to expensive of had bad service yet the council supplies a rubbish service yet puts up our council tax each year! When will they stop wasting our money?
Councils are like politicians, a waste of space.
Wow, this is a council to be proud of ,not ! Do they have any concept of how much they aren’t trusted ? Trouble is how do we , ordinary people ,get them out ???
You vote them out come election time, same as always
Any idiot who votes for this lot in the next election
needs their brains tested.
We are being run by Robbing B’stards, get them out
They don’t represent the people of the Island.
And are we surprised??????
And next year’s news ,council tax rise …. cuts to service’s….
Shortfalls due to previous councillors!!!!!!
They are the previous councillors….
If they budgeted properly we the cash cow’s wouldn’t have to keep paying. more ……
Stop wasting our money…..