The WLGA expects the average Council Tax increase across Wales for 2012-13 to be at a record low, at approximately 2.1%, meaning that Welsh households will continue to pay less per year for council services than English households. This prediction is based on a survey of councils across Wales, although not all councils have yet finalised their budgets and council tax increases for 2012-13.
Cllr Rodney Berman (Cardiff), WLGA Finance Spokesperson welcomed this news, saying:
“Despite building pressures on budgets, councils across Wales have managed to keep Council Tax increases to the bare minimum required to protect vital services. Our focus is on getting the balance right for our citizens. Right now they are telling us that the effects of the economic difficulties across the UK are really starting to bite, pay is being frozen or cut, jobs are being lost and food and fuel bills are rising. Most families have cut back on their spending but many are still struggling. Councils want to minimise the financial impact of Council Tax increases on these families while ensuring that the vital local services they rely on continue to be provided.”
“Each year comparisons are inevitably made with the council tax freeze in England but it is important to remember that the average total band D Council Tax bill in Wales is already some £275 less than in England. Equally while money was made available for a freeze by the UK Chancellor for councils in England, this is not the case in Wales where the Welsh Government decided not to follow suit. That said, the WLGA supported the Welsh Government’s decision to spend the Welsh share of this money on providing extra funding for schools in Wales. Some Welsh councils have managed to freeze council tax, but this does not necessarily mean that citizens in these areas are paying less Council Tax than citizens in areas where the council has not adopted a freeze.”
WLGA Leader, Cllr John Davies (Pembrokeshire) added:
“Councils provide the services which support our communities and businesses in order to build a vibrant economy. They are responsible for frontline services which produce an educated workforce, maintain roads to provide good transport links, provide good quality housing for improved health, facilitate the sustainable disposal of waste and crucially, provide social care services to protect the most vulnerable in our society. I am pleased to see the predicted average council tax increase across Wales for 2012-13 has been kept as low as possible, reflecting the determined effort by councils to strike a balance between providing these vital services but also limiting the pressure on hard-pressed households.”
