Nottinghamshire County Council's finance chief says the authority tried to 'tax as little as possible' in its budget plans as households face a rise of nearly 5%. Ben Bradley, the council's leader, recently revealed budget plans which will see all Nottinghamshire households paying at least £50 a year extra in council tax.
Councillor Bradley said there was nothing in the Conservative-controlled council's budget plans that he would "struggle to defend." The proposed tax rise is 4.84%, just under the new maximum of 5% that councils are now allowed to increase tax by without holding a referendum.
Councillor Bradley at the time highlighted the fact that the council wasn't planning to raise tax by the full maximum, saying the authority had taken on "a lot of the pain" from inflation itself. But given the difference is just 0.16%, one councillor has questioned why Nottinghamshire County Council isn't proposing the full rise of 5%.
