‘Biggest’ council tax cut (From Cotswold Journal)

‘Biggest’ council tax cut

12:00pm Monday 4th March 2013 in News

RESIDENTS are set to benefit from a five per cent cut in council tax following Cotswold District Council’s annual budget meeting.

Council leader Lynden Stowe also confirmed there would be no increases until at least 2016 despite a 39 per cent reduction in core government grants to the council over the lastthree years.

Speaking after the meeting, Coun Stowe said: “This is a good day for the people ofthe Cotswolds. We are one of the few local authorities who have been able to cut council tax and I would be surprised if any other has been able to reduce it by such a significant amount – this is probably the largest cut in the country.”

He added the council had made savings by sharing many of their senior managers with their main partner West Oxfordshire District Council along with setting up a jointlocal authority company with Cheltenham Borough Council to provide waste and recycling services.

Coun Paul Hodgkinson, Cotswold Liberal Democrat leader, said the party supported the five per cent tax cut.