Council Tax
Bucket list for fixing council finances
Co-designing a truly sustainable finance system for councils for the long-term ‘won’t be quick and it won’t be easy’, says Martin Reeves. A few more years of ‘make do and mend’ will not work for our communities and economies, he adds.
Council tax revaluation would help level up, says IFS
A new council tax revaluation would boost the Government’s levelling up agenda, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said.
Let's see what happens on longer-term funding
Lorna Baxter gave evidence at the Public Accounts Committee in response to the NAO report on local government finance during COVID. She says there is acknowledgement that the longer-term funding and distribution mechanism needs to be addressed.
Holiday homes tax loophole to be closed
The Government has announced a clampdown on tax breaks for second homes
The funding puzzle stays unsolved
CIPFA's council tax data revealed the average council tax bills for band D properties in two regions of England will now exceed £2,000. Taxpayers will begin to ask what they get for this, says Rob Whiteman.
End to welfare support threatens council finances
Cutting off pandemic welfare support could lead to ‘disaster’ for families and local government funding, councils have warned.
Building back better and fairer
Tameside MBC’s Budget and focus on Inclusive Growth offers a platform to work together to seize an opportunity to build a new and better future, argues Cllr Oliver Ryan.
Council tax hits £2,000 barrier in two regions
The typical council tax bill for an average property in England’s north-east and south-west will be more than £2,000 a year for the first time, according to research from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
Lord Heseltine calls for a cross-government approach to regeneration
Lord Heseltine has put the case for a senior cross-departmental Cabinet minister and committee to lead on regeneration, 'mirrored in the big regional centres'.
A tale of two Budgets?
While the Budget delivered an economic quick fix, critics have highlighted its silence on support for public services and rising inequality, and a ‘scattergun’ approach to levelling up. Heather Jameson reports.
Under pressure from many directions
Last week’s Budget made optimistic assumptions about post-pandemic costs that could mean cuts in services like local government down the line, reports Michael Burton.
Warwick to overhaul climate change plans
Warwick DC is to redraw its plans to tackle climate change after abandoning a green tax referendum.
Long-term funding for local government looks ominous
In her first column for The MJ, and in her role as the incoming president of the Society of County Treasurers, Lorna Baxter says her worry is 'not the short-term funding issues, but the longer-term impacts on local government'.
Budget should give more cash to councils, claims IFS
Next month’s Budget should allocate more funding for local government, health and education while a revamped and higher council tax should replace stamp duty, says a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
NI councils handed powers to vary taxes
New legislation at Stormont will allow councils in Northern Ireland to vary the rate of council tax and business rates.
MPs attack 'broken' council funding
The Government has promised reform of the system of financing local authorities.
Looking at the long term impact of Scottish council tax freeze
In Scotland, the devolved government announced £90m to compensate councils that choose to freeze council tax next year. Joanne Pitt says that while this is a helpful lifeline it comes at the cost of reduced council tax income in the future.
Local government settlement shows Government is not in listening mode
It is clear from the final local government settlement that the Government did not pay attention to the submissions of councils, including districts, says Ian Miller. The consultation with the sector on council tax increases 'seems a sham', he adds.
Fixing the fiscal flaws
Last week saw the Treasury put a pause on business rates billing until after the Budget. But the March announcement is unlikely to address the bigger issues facing council tax and business rates. Heather Jameson reports.
There is no better time to sort out funding
Heather Jameson says it will take a wholesale rethink of local government funding – and a social care bill – to fix finances. 'And there is no better time to start than now.'
