Newark and Sherwood District Council set to raise council tax by nearly 3%
Council tax charged by Newark and Sherwood District Council is likely to rise by 2.99% per year from April.
Homes in the lowest value bands A to C — which make up nearly three quarters of the district’s properties — would see an increase of less than £5.66 per year.
A 2.99% rise is the highest increase the council can impose on households.
Leaders said the authority’s budget was under pressure from inflation and recent flooding, which is estimated to have cost the council up to £1m in the last few months.
Paul Peacock, leader of the council, said: “Nobody comes into politics to put council tax up, but we’re in a difficult financial position.
“The fact we’re able to provide a budget which doesn’t cut services for a 2.99% rise while inflation has gone through the roof is testament to the council’s work.
“We are in a fortunate position compared to a lot of councils.”
Paul Taylor, portfolio holder for public protection, said recent flooding caused by Storm Henk and others had also taken a toll on the council’s resources.
“We’ve carried costs of £500,000 to £1m on staffing and other flooding costs over the last 12 months,” he said.
“The taxpayer can’t afford to be carrying that regularly.”
Newark and Sherwood District Council has applied for the cost of its emergency response to be reimbursed under the government’s Bellwin scheme.
This covers councils’ costs for up to four weeks after disasters such as floods, fires and bombings.
However, it doesn’t include recovery work following this period, such as rebuilding or issuing grants to people affected by the floods.
Mr Taylor added many councils across the country were making cuts in order to balance their budgets.
He said: “We’re still managing to come in on budget and not slash services. I think we’ve done remarkably well to be able to do that.”
Full council are set to give the budget and council tax level final approval at a meeting on Thursday, March 7.