Petition on RBWM Raising Council Tax

A PETITION to give residents a “voice and choice” on raising council tax above the cap via referendum has been submitted to the Royal Borough.

After the Conservative cabinet agreed to lobby Government to raise council tax past the five per cent cap back in October, the Borough First (TBF) Independent group announced they are campaigning for residents to have a say on that.

Three per cent is the adult social care precept set by Government, but a further increase of the two per cent in council tax will have to go to a local referendum.

The Conservatives’ proposed draft 2021/22 budget, which is subject to public consultation, seeks to increase council tax by five per cent as well as cutting and ‘transforming’ services in order to save around £8 million – and more in later years – due to Covid-19 and past financial mismanagement.

The leader of the independents, councillor Lynne Jones (Old Windsor Residents’ Association: Old Windsor), said this petition is to give residents the option whether they want to maintain historically low council tax but see a reduction in services or increase council tax past the two per cent council tax cap without seeing cuts made to services.

She said: “I think rather than it being Government’s choice or people lobbying Government for that ability, to actually give residents that choice, it’s more in line with how we see their view being represented.”

The independent group estimated a local referendum may cost around £200,000.