Council Tax rises by over two per cent in Hastings
Council tax is to rise by 2.6 per cent.
Hastings Borough Council this week voted to increase its wedge of council tax by 1.9 per cent – the lowest increase in a decade.
But when added to higher increases decided by East Sussex County Council, the local police and the fire service, the actual increase levels out at 2.6 per cent.
This means residents living in the town's 14,000 plus homes worth less than 40,000 will have to pay an extra 27 a year, with a total bill of more than 1,000.
The reason the majority of homes fall into this bracket is because the valuations are from 1991 - although this could soon be updated.
Homeowners who currently fall into the highest bracket - homes worth more than 320,000 - will be faced with an extra 80 on their already bumper 3,228 annual bill. However, this affects less than 50 homes across Hastings and St Leonards.
The majority of the town's 42,161 homes are valued at less than 88,000, meaning most residents will be hit by an increase of less than 50.
Councillors discussed the increase during a lengthy meeting on Wednesday, with praise for officers coming from across the political divide.
Cllr Matthew Beaver, who presented the overall budget, said council staff had done well to limit the increase despite extra drains on council resources, such as a recession-induced rise in benefit claims.
He said: "Unfortunately we need to increase council tax, but our rise of just 1.9 per cent is the lowest in Hastings for a decade."
The majority of council tax goes directly to the county council. Of the 1,614 bill of a Band D home (worth 68,000 to 88,000), Hastings Borough Council will get 235, compared to the 1,158 which goes to the county council. Sussex police gets 138 and the fire service 81.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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