TAXPAYERS in the New Forest and Romsey will back the decision not to make cuts to stave off a nine per cent rise in their bill demand, the county council's leader has claimed.
Residents look certain to face a huge council tax increase thanks to the government's scrooge spending targets and the authority's own overspend. Members of the council's cabinet will today debate the latest budget report, which says an eight to nine per cent rise is now a near certainty.
Financial pressures racked up in council services have been blamed for adding to the council tax demand hit by government underspending. Included in those pressures are:
A £1m overspend in social services alone.
A £1.7m overspend across other departments.
A £450,000 overspend on home to school transport.
Councillor Ken Thornber says that he will not consider making cutbacks to reduce the council's tax demand - and that householders will understand.
He hopes to set up a community workshop and a telephone survey of residents to see what they think the budget's priorities should be.
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