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Poole's Budget - Lowest Council Tax Rise since 1997

Last night Poole’s Cabinet recommended a Council Tax rise of 3.5 per cent – the lowest percentage increase in the town for nine years.  In addition, the Cabinet revealed there would be no cutbacks in Council services and no job losses. The matter will now be discussed and voted upon at a meeting of the Full Council on February 16.

Council Leader Cllr Brian Leverett said the budget had been achieved through sound financial management and through identifying £2 million of savings and efficiencies.

He said: “I am pleased to say our budget includes no stories of closures or cutbacks in public services. We are putting forward a budget based upon good housekeeping and improving services. To deliver the budget we have had to tighten our belt, in some areas very tightly, and we have found efficiencies where we are able.”

As part of the annual Council Tax setting process the Council has to agree a budget each year. A wide range of decisions are taken on the income and expenditure of the Council which ends with the decision on how much each Council Tax payer will have to pay.

Cllr Leverett added: “Setting the Council Tax is the outcome of a wide range of decisions taken by councillors on the services to be provided to residents and service users in Poole next year. It is not a single issue but a combination of many decisions covering the Council’s income and expenditure, some taken solely by local councillors and some strongly influenced by Central Government in Whitehall.

“This however is not a budget based upon standing still. It is a budget aimed at improving and developing services like the “Blue Bin” recycling scheme, the new library at Rossmore and improving our customer services. This budget also allows us to maintain our ambition for the town with the development of the Full Sail Ahead regeneration project and improvements to our schools under our Schools for the Future programme.

“The decisions we have to take are not made any easier given the low levels of funding made available by Government – we still remain poorly funded in comparison to other parts of the country. This is compounded when increased responsibilities are continually given to the Council such as Licensing and Waste directives yet inadequate funding follows. I am, however undaunted in my attempts to get a fairer deal for Poole residents. I was pleased to see the political divide was put to one side for a moment to make our case to Ministers in January. It is therefore with disappointment that I have to say our request for increases in funding to comparable levels with others has not been addressed.

“The annual increases in Council Tax that we have seen in recent years have been a huge and unfair burden on our taxpayers. I have made a commitment to limit the burden and over last two years the increase has been reduced each time (4.9% - 2004/5; 4.5% - 2005/6) and made more stable. Looking to 2007/8, I hope to deliver an increase of not more than 4%.”

Rachael Mills, Media Relations Manager, Communications, Borough of Poole tel 01202 633295