Authorities across Nottinghamshire are planning and approving the amount of tax they will charge residents for the next financial year. Starting from April, many authorities are deciding to increase the amount of tax they charge by the maximum amount allowed.
Council tax paid by people in the city of Nottingham goes towards Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue, Nottinghamshire's Police and Crime Commissioner and Nottingham City Council, with the tax for all three collected by the council. In the rest of the county, council tax is paid to the county council, the relevant district council and again to the fire service and Police and Crime Commissioner.
District councils are responsible for collecting tax outside the city of Nottingham. Some of the tax rises from April have already been approved, with just two Nottinghamshire councils yet to release their plans.
The amount of tax paid depends on which band a property is in, with council tax bands being based on the value of a property on April 1, 1991. Below are all of the proposals for council tax rises next year, as well as those which have already been approved.
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Nottingham City Council
Nottingham City Council was the first authority across Nottinghamshire to reveal its planned council tax increase for the upcoming financial year. The authority plans to increase council tax by 4.99% from April, which is the maximum amount allowed without holding a referendum.
For Band A properties, which make up the majority of Nottingham city households, the tax rise would mean paying an extra £65.04 for the year. This figure rises to £195.14 for the top Band H properties, which make up just 0.1% of Nottingham households.
The council tax proposals were first revealed last December as the authority tried to plug a reported financial gap of £32 million next year. The tax rise will have to be approved at a meeting of the full council, with the next one due to take place on March 6.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue charges council tax to all those who pay it in the county, including in Nottingham itself. The service says a £5 increase in its council tax would make its finances "far more manageable" over the coming years.
A £5 increase would be the maximum allowed without a referendum, and would see the council tax paid by those in Band D properties rising to £89. Other options set out by the fire service include council tax being frozen or an increase of 2.95%.
Without any increase in council tax, the fire service said it would be left with a deficit that would reach £5.6m by April 2026. Final plans are due to be discussed at a meeting of the local fire authority on February 24.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner
The office of Nottinghamshire's Police and Crime Commissioner also charges council tax to all taxpayers in the county. This tax rise was the first to be officially approved in Nottinghamshire, with councillors backing it at a meeting on February 7.
The tax increase will see those in Band D properties paying an extra £14.94 a year. The majority of Nottinghamshire households are a Band A or Band B property, with the former facing an annual rise of £9.96 and the latter a rise of £11.62.
Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said the tax increase was not a decision she took lightly. But the commissioner added the tax rise was the "only way" to avoid local policing cuts.
Nottinghamshire County Council
As the upper tier council providing services such as education and social care, Nottinghamshire County Council charges tax to all taxpayers in the county apart from those in Nottingham itself. Nottingham City Council is a unitary authority, meaning it takes services such as education on itself.
The county council approved a tax rise of 4.84% at its annual budget meeting on February 9. It means people in Band A properties, which make up nearly 40% of Nottinghamshire households, will pay an extra £53.05 in council tax.
Ashfield District Council
Ashfield District Council is proposing to increase council tax by 2.94%, equating to an increase of £5.75 for a Band D property. The rise would mean an increase of just £3.83 for those in Band A properties, which make up 53% of Ashfield households. Proposals are set to be discussed at a meeting on February 21 and then at a full council meeting on March 2.
Bassetlaw District Council
Bassetlaw District Council is assuming a council tax rise of 2.99% next year due to "tight financial constraints" at the authority. The rise would mean a new annual council tax of £194.12 for a Band D property.
The majority of properties in the district are Band A, with those households facing a new annual council tax payment of £129.41. The tax rise will have to be approved at a meeting of the full council, with the next one due to take place on March 2.
Broxtowe Borough Council
People in Broxtowe could be facing a 2.94% rise in council tax from April. Broxtowe Borough Council is proposing the rise, which would mean the annual payment for a Band D property going from £176.85 to £182.06.
The council says that figures including council leader Milan Radulovic were consulted on the rise. It will also have to be approved by a full council meeting, with the next one due to be held on March 1.
Gedling Borough Council
Gedling Borough Council is proposing a tax rise of 3% for its residents from April, the maximum amount it can raise tax by without holding a referendum. The rise would mean an annual increase of £5.34 for a Band D property.
For those in Band A properties, the rise would mean an extra £3.56 for the year. The proposed rise was discussed by the council's cabinet, and will have to be approved by councillors at its annual budget meeting on March 2.
Mansfield District Council
Mansfield is so far the only Nottinghamshire authority not planning to increase council tax next year. The authority revealed its proposals last December, which come despite a reported financial gap of £1.9 million next year.
The council says it will instead fill the gap through savings, reserves and increased fees and charges. The plans will have to be approved by a meeting of the full council, with the next due to take place on March 7.
Newark and Sherwood District Council
Newark and Sherwood is proposing to increase its council tax bill by 1.94 percent. This would mean a rise of £3.60 a year for Band D homes. For those in Band A properties, the rise would be £2.40 for the year, taking the total to £126.13. The plans are due to be discussed at a full council meeting on March 9.
Rushcliffe Borough Council
Rushcliffe Borough Council is proposing no increase for residents in band A-D properties, equating to more than 60% of households in the area. It would mean no increase for the next 12 months for those households from April.
The council says its plans would mean that it would still hold the title of charging the lowest council tax rate in Nottinghamshire. The plans will be discussed at a full council meeting on March 2.
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