County aims to keep Council Tax increase to 3.9%

The recommended increase is still above the national rate of inflation but is 1.1% lower than the likely Rother figure.

Rother officers will be coming back to committee with suggestions to achieve cuts and economies totalling 170,000 in order for the district council to keep with the Government's 5% limit or risk being capped.

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is among organisations being invited by the county council to comment on its proposed increase.

Chamber secretary Sue Spice this week e-mailed members inviting them to submit their comments to her by e-mail so the chamber can make its views known.

The county council is required to undertake a comprehensive consultation exercise on its budget proposals each year.

Submissions must be made by January 18 or order for them to be presented to the next meeting of the county cabinet.

In a pre-Christmas report to the county cabinet, deputy chief executive and director of corporate resources Sean Nolan told councillors: "The policy framework involves differential three-year cash limit increases - favouring Adult Social Care in particular but also Children's, Highways Maintenance, Building Maintenance and Libraries to a much more limited extent.

"Beyond that, the general requirement is for zero cash growth for other services.

"Alongside this is a downwards trajectory in Council Tax increases over the same year period.

"For 2008-2009, the next downwards step would see Council Tax rise by 3.9% (compared with 4.3% in 2007-2008.

"As always, the process is managed in a comprehensive way, also involving scrutiny through reconciling policy and resources.

"The (Government) settlement for next year, and indeed the next three years, was announced on December 6."

The county cabinet and its portfolio holders have agreed revised policies and lead members and chief officers are now developing the county's portfolio pans and the council's targets for its plans.

The deputy chief executive says: "As part of this, each portfolio is identifying the pressures they have to absorb, in addition to normal inflation, with the cash limits set.

"They are also identifying savings plans to meet the gaps involved incorporating opportunities for increasing income in line with the Getting The Most From Income project recommendations."

To meet the 3.9% target, the county needs to make savings of 8.3m for the coming year, compared with 7m at this time last year.