Council Tax Set for Less than Inflation

4.36.51pm GMT Fri 9th Feb 2007

Following the close of the public consultation on the 2007/2008 budget, Milton Keynes Council's Liberal Democrat administration has confirmed that it intends to recommend a below-inflation council tax increase of 3.6% to the Council's budget-setting meeting on 27 February.

The public consultation on the budget proposals showed that a majority of respondents thought the rise was acceptable. The Council also consulted on a number of detailed proposals within the budget, including suggestions from opposition parties.

Councillor Sam Crooks, the Lib Dem Finance boss, said: "We said we would limit the council tax rise to no more than inflation and we have kept to that pledge. We have pegged the increase to the inflation rate that the Government announced last autumn it would use for the pension increase. Inflation has actually risen since then."

Lib Dem Council Leader, Councillor Isobel McCall said: "We have looked carefully at what Milton Keynes residents have said during the consultation. We are proposing to adjust the budget in three areas to reflect residents' views. We are delighted that, by and large, residents have supported the vast majority of the Lib Dem proposals. They have only supported one of Labour's and one of the Conservatives' proposals."

In order to take the results of the public consultation into account, the cabinet intend to make the following changes to the recommended budget:

• Re-instate a post in the Children and Youth team that that was scheduled to be cut (£25,000)

• Invest an additional £50,000 in library books

• Change the timing of street lighting on dual carriageways from April 2008 (£120,000 in the budget for 2008/09).