County facing near 5% tax rise amid budget pressures

Council tax bills in Herefordshire are set to increase by nearly 5%

People in Herefordshire are facing a rise in council tax of nearly 5%, under plans to plug a gap in council finances.

The proposed increase, which would come into effect in April, is expected to be backed by Herefordshire Council's cabinet next week.

If approved, it would bring in an extra £6.3m towards the authority's total budget of £205m.

A typical Band D household would be paying £1,875.76, an increase of £7.43 a month.

Council leader Jonathan Lester warned that the authority was “still facing significant inflationary pressures”.

Mr Lester said: “We will need to transform how services are delivered and review the organisation’s size and structure to reduce costs, along with looking at opportunities to maximise income.”

It comes after Herefordshire Council forecast a budget overspend of £13.8m last month.

Residents' input

The 4.99% increase – the maximum allowed by the government – would be made up of two separate rises.

Two per cent would be used for adult social care while the remaining 2.99% is described as being “core” council tax.

If approved by the cabinet on 14 December, the proposal would then have to be signed off by the full council.

The authority has proposed savings totalling £19.5m and has sought residents’ input on where spending should be prioritised.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.